On Tuesday, President Donald Trump set social media on fire once again. The president took part in a virtual town hall discussion, hosted by Fox News, to address ongoing concerns regarding coronavirus. While much of the country has been in self-isolation in an attempt to help slow the spread, the president suggested that he “would love to have the country opened up, and just raring to go, by Easter,” adding “I think it’s possible, why not?”
As coronavirus continues to spread and disrupt day-to-day life, Trump and his administration have received a significant amount of criticism over their handling of coronavirus. There was also significant blowback for his calls to “have the country opened up” by Easter, given that health officials have repeatedly refuted such claims. Including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease and a member of the coronavirus response team, who recently got caught violating his own safety protocols on Friday.
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Then, in a later briefing, Trump read from a script to deliver information to the public, which has also sparked criticism. Most of it (so far) is over the president’s tone, who some feel reflects his lack of concern about the situation on a whole. Some even went straight to Twitter, who compared the ordeal to listening to someone else give a book report.
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Why does Trump always sound like he’s reading a book report he’s written in front of class?
โ Christian Kelly (@Christi38797874) March 24, 2020
I can’t believe it, they broke into the middle of Jeopardy to have Trump deliver his boring and drone-like diatribe that doesn’t mean squat!
โ Alice C (@Tweetypot) March 24, 2020
“We cannot let the cure be worse than the problem itself,” Trump said on Monday, which echo today’s remarks. “We’re not going to let the cure be worse than the problem. At the end of the 15-day period, we’ll make a decision as to which way we want to go.”
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Trump does not like reading a statement. He’s at his best when he can just talk.
โ Browns Analytics Dept (@FnGoldhammer) March 24, 2020
Trump just reading prepared remarks. He always gets woolly the more he ad libs
โ Clara Jeffery (@ClaraJeffery) March 24, 2020
“America will never be a supplicant nation”
At the Fox News town hall, Vice President Mike Pence also said that “at no point has the White House Coronavirus Task Force discussed a nationwide lockdown. We’ll focus on our most vulnerable, but putting America back to work will also be a priority, in weeks not months.”
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Trump reading a script is the worst!
โ Alison Valentine (@SocialAlison) March 24, 2020
Trump reading like he just rolled out of bed. I love how reassuring he is ๐
โ Iverson Allen (@O_Shaw) March 24, 2020
On Friday, Trump also caused quite the reaction when it was spotted that his speech contained the word “corona,” which he crossed out and replaced to read “Chinese virus.”
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Trump looks like a 2nd-grader asked to read aloud in class. Can’t lift his face to make eye contact because he doesn’t understand what he’s reading.
โ Marci (@marci65) March 24, 2020
Trump be giving speeches and don’t know a word on the page until he reading it in front of the camera
โ Eric (@LegendofEric_) March 24, 2020
“It comes from China,” Trump said in defense of the phrase. He added that it’s “not racist at all” and only calls it that because he wants “to be accurate.”
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Trump reading like he just rolled out of bed. I love how reassuring he is ๐
โ Iverson Allen (@O_Shaw) March 24, 2020
Well that was….short? I guess? That’s a nice change from yesterday.
โ snarke (@snarke) March 24, 2020
Anyway, thanks for reading my #Trump #COVID19 #Briefing tweets, everybody! I appreciate it! pic.twitter.com/FYq9xlaR5w
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I m with you President Trump, 100%.#MAGA
โ Kall (@Kall558) March 24, 2020
Trump has a date in mind for the cancellation of the pandemic response. He should kick it off with a nationwide series of MAGA rallies. Let him put his life and the lives of his followers on the line. If he doesn’t, it only proves that he doesn’t believe his own line of bullshit.
โ flyingeagle01 (@flyingeagle011) March 24, 2020
Of course, there were still those who choose to support the president.ย