Donald Trump Reacts to 'Friend' Rand Paul Testing Positive for Coronavirus
President Donald Trump took to Twitter Sunday night after learning that Senator Rand Paul has [...]
Some people sent well wishes to Paul.
prevnextWe will all defeat this coronavirus. Prayers for Rand Paul.
— RD (@real_defender) March 23, 2020
prevnextPraying 4 Rand & his family while I see others here celebrating
We r seeing great unity & compassion throughout the nation in this crisisBut there is a small population of very nasty people who are reveling in what’s going on because they so filled with hateref 4 the President
— Melissa A. (@TheRightMelissa) March 23, 2020
Others criticized Trump for his cavalier attitude toward the coronavirus before it was widespread across the world and declared a pandemic.
prevnextHow can he get something you called fake for two months and rejected testing that would have stopped it? I'm confused.
— Todd Poirier (@todd_poirier) March 23, 2020
Many, including actress Mia Farrow, pleaded with the president to call it by its technical name instead of the "Chinese Virus," which health officials have called xenophobic.
prevnextStoppit. You are stigmatizing 21 million Asian Americans and exposing them to potential bullying or worse. ITS THE CORONA VIRUS #beBest
— Mia Farrow (@MiaFarrow) March 23, 2020
Despite widespread condemnation of the term, Trump continues to call COVID-19 the "Chinese Virus." The Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Robert Redfield said during his House testimony last week that it was "absolutely wrong and inappropriate" to call the coronavirus the "Chinese coronavirus." Mike Ryan, head of WHO's health emergency programs, had a similar sentiment, telling the South China Morning Post last week that "I think we've been very clear right since the beginning of this event that viruses know no borders and they don't care [about] your ethnicity, the color of your skin, how much money you have in the bank."
prevnextYou only use “Chinese virus” because you know it’s stokes your base, a bunch of vile, racist, white supremacist, degenerates, always looking for a non-white person to blame something on. That’s the reason they voted for you.
— Bishop Talbert Swan (@TalbertSwan) March 23, 2020
Some called out Trump for previously publicly slamming Paul.
prevnextYour "friend"? There's always a tweet. pic.twitter.com/JA2dY03Euf
— Mike Pence - Professional Mannequin (@vespertilioAJR) March 23, 2020
The reaction to Paul's diagnosis was swift and severe, with many people criticizing him for not properly isolating himself even after he was aware he could potentially be infected.
prevnextTell me how Rand Paul knowingly going for a swim in the US Senate pool and lunching with other Senators while waiting for his coronavirus test results is any different than those a-holes who licked Blue Bell ice cream containers in the store and put them back.
— Jeremy Newberger (@jeremynewberger) March 23, 2020
Others wondered how Paul was able to get tested despite showing no symptoms. It's possible that Paul, who had part of his lung removed and therefore has an underlying health issue, qualified as someone who should be tested, especially after appearing at an event in Kentucky where others were carrying the virus.
prevRand Paul got tested even though he had no symptoms... I'm so sick of this shit.
Who's with me?
— Angela Belcamino (@AngelaBelcamino) March 23, 2020