On Tuesday, President Donald Trump shared a video from his visit to a Honeywell manufacturing plant in Arizona, where workers have shifted to making N95 respirators to combat the coronavirus pandemic. Within hours of his tour, Trump's team had cut together a high-production value video, with stirring music and a speech from the president set over footage of the factory at work. Twitter had a strong response to the video.
Trump toured the Honeywell facility in Phoenix, Arizona on Tuesday, according to a report by CBS News. He wore safety goggles but no face mask, drawing more criticism from viewers who say that he is sending mixed messages by not following his own recommendations. Trump's team got footage of the much-need N95 masks being made, and of employees of the factory gathered for speeches by him and other company leaders. The final product was posted on the official White House Twitter account and then re-posted by Trump.
"We will vanquish the virus and build a future of greatness and glory with American heart, American hands, American pride, and American soul!" the president said at the factory.
Employees throughout the video were wearing masks, and often gloves as well, however, the president did not. Critics condemned this move, along with the video itself, which was called a misleading and tone deaf.
Twitter users also wanted to see the president taking a more solemn approach to the coronavirus rather than the triumphant one in this clip. They noted that over 72,000 Americans have now died from the pandemic, and the president should be offering his condolences to a grieving nation, rather than highlighting the hard work of Honeywell employees.
For the latest information on the coronavirus pandemic, visit the websites of the CDC and the World Health Organization. In the meantime, here is what Twitter had to say about the president's new Honeywell video this week.
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