Surgeon General Jerome Adams has become the latest member of the Trump administration to raise eyebrows during remarks at the daily coronavirus briefings. Speaking to reporters on Friday, and directing his comments at communities of color, Adams spoke about the social distancing guidelines, encouraging everyone to adhere to them for the time being.
“If you must go out, maintain six feet of distance between you and everyone else and wear a mask if you’re going to be within six feet of others. Wash your hands more often than you’d ever dreamed possible. Avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs. And call your friends and family, check in on your mother, she wants to hear from you, right now.”
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While Adams’ advice was sound, it was the next part of his speech that drew some criticism from viewers online. Specifically when he stated that “we need you to this, if not for yourself, then for your Abuela.”
“Do it for your granddaddy,” Adams continued. “Do it for your big momma, do it for your pop-pop. We need you to understand, especially in communities of color, we need you to step up and help stop the spread so we can protect those who are most vulnerable.”
Obviously, viewers couldn’t wait to weigh in about the whole thing on Twitter.
Surgeon General Jerome Adams is a clown.
— Frederick Joseph (@FredTJoseph) April 10, 2020
He said that Black and brown people need to “step up” and avoid alcohol and drugs during #COVID19.
Further perpetuating false narratives about our communities. America will always try to blame people of color.
pic.twitter.com/rfPe2EyMdF
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams says black, Latino & other people of color should “avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs.” “We need you to step up,” he says.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) April 10, 2020
Some will find this language offensive after Adams stressed that behavior was not the issue for why more black ppl are dying.
Trump himself has also been accused of using racist language as part of his coronavirus response, particularly for his use of the term “Chinese virus.”
The Surgeon General, making sure to check off all of the stereotypical ethnic names for our relatives:
— BrooklynDad_Defiant! (@mmpadellan) April 10, 2020
“Do it for your abuela, do it for your grandaddy, do it for your Big Mama, do it for your pop pop.”
Are sitcom writers from the 90s creating these speeches?
Me and the homies avoiding drugs and alcohol for our big mama. Thanks Surgeon General pic.twitter.com/kAnY62OYZO
— Jackson Lockhart (@_Jack_lockhart) April 10, 2020
After his initial use of the phrase turned heads in mid-March, Trump doubled down on his use in an interview with CNN. Specifically, he says it “[because] it comes from China. It’s not racist at all, no, not at all. It comes from China, that’s why. I want to be accurate.”
The fact that non-Black people are on Twitter “explaining” to Black people why what Surgeon General @JeromeAdamsMD said is okay is a great explanation for why it was not okay.
— W. Kamau Bell (@wkamaubell) April 10, 2020
So the Surgeon General is demanding that minorities do less drugs to help stop COVID-19.
— Pé (@4everNeverTrump) April 10, 2020
Not white people… just minorities.
Not long after his comments to CNN, a photographer spotted a page of Trump’s speech, which had “coronavirus” crossed out and “Chinese virus” written in its place.
I’m so mad I can’t believe the US Surgeon General just implied that all Black and Latino Americans are alcoholics and drugs addicts. pic.twitter.com/kbGUFSv6az
— Bri (@gothwesanderson) April 10, 2020
I just love it when a black man is elevated to Surgeon General of the United States, and he uses that position to trade in lies, play sychophant to a tyrant, and then beclown his own community by validating the most racist of stereotypes.
— Pam Keith (@PamKeithFL) April 10, 2020
Trump has also been regularly criticized for his candor during the daily briefings, including his semi-regular tweets about how well the broadcasts are doing in the ratings.
Dear White People
— ABlackWomanWhoDontGiveAF*ck (@battletested5) April 10, 2020
Jerome Adams, US Surgeon General does not speak for Black People.
The language he used today was highly fucking offensive to Black People
Its quite clear why he works for the trump administration.
In 1957, the US Surgeon General told people of color to avoid drugs and alcohol “for their abuela, their grandaddy, their Big Mama, and their pop pop.”
— Nico COVID Haircut XW (@Nicoxw1) April 10, 2020
*Checks notes*
Wait no, it just happened. In 2020.
*Breathes*
WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK?
On Wednesday, Colin Hanks, whose father was one of the first celebrities to speak out about testing positive for the virus, along with wife, Rita Wilson, spoke out against Trump’s recent criticism of the World Health Organization.
US Surgeon General Jerome Adams says POC should “avoid alcohol, tobacco and drugs”
— Sergio Siano🌹 (@SergioJSiano) April 10, 2020
No, Surgeon General. The reason coronavirus is disproportionately killing so many POC is not because of “drugs.”
It’s because of environmental injustice, income inequality and systemic racism.
The unqualified MAGA stooge Jerome Adams stood behind the podium and blamed minorities for dying at higher rates from Coronavirus, then told them to act more responsibly for their Abuela and Big Mama.
— Ricky Davila (@TheRickyDavila) April 10, 2020
He’s not a Surgeon General, he’s a national disgrace playing dress up.
“Once again, he blames other for HIS actions,” Hanks wrote. “Or in this case: complete lack of it.” He also added the hashtag #HeIsNoLeader.
