US President Donald Trump on Wednesday hit Twitter to claim he was “so happy” that Sen. Mitt Romney (R-UT) had tested negative for the coronavirus.
“This is really great news!” tweeted Trump in the wake of a report by Breitbart that the Republican senator had tested negative for the COVID-19 novel respiratory disease.
This is really great news! I am so happy I can barely speak. He may have been a terrible presidential candidate and an even worse U.S. Senator, but he is a RINO, and I like him a lot! https://t.co/42zpWW9vzy
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2020
Nevertheless, the President didn’t pass up an opportunity to take a swing at the senator, as he added:
"I am so happy I can barely speak. He may have been a terrible presidential candidate and an even worse US Senator, but he is a RINO, and I like him a lot!”
Netizens weighed in on Trump’s tweet, with some congratulating the senator on receiving such heartening news, as they called Trump out for “inept governing” over the pandemic.
Stop with the sarcasm.
— Jeffrey Guterman (@JeffreyGuterman) March 25, 2020
Mitt Romney at least has one testicle. You can’t admit when you’re wrong. Have little to no skin for insults. Inept with policy and governing. I in fact am really thankful you have not gotten Coronavirus. You saw how infectious this was in China. We should have acted in Feb.
— ♻️🇺🇸 Christopher Zullo (@ChrisJZullo) March 25, 2020
Some netizens deplored the sarcasm they perceived in his comments.
Sarcasm requires duality of mind, the ability to see two sides of something simultaneously. This is not a trait trump has demonstrated to date.
— Frances_Larina (@Frances_Larina) March 25, 2020
Over 150 innocent people died from #coronavirus yesterday in the USA. but so-called President is irresponsibly making jokes about it. 😳 #Shameful
— Jules Morgan (@glamelegance) March 25, 2020
Supporters of Donald Trump rejected accusations of “fake media” and applauded his “handling of the coronavirus epidemic”.
As hard as the FAKE NEWS MEDIA is trying to spin it...
— Students for Trump at ASU (@sft_asu) March 25, 2020
The American people see the truth and they overwhelmingly support @realDonaldTrump’s handling of the Coronavirus ‼️‼️‼️ pic.twitter.com/KqAmdWZKEf
He’s the president he can do what the hell he wants
— presouz (@presouz2) March 25, 2020
Trump can do whatever he wants the "Left" is a bunch of American, hating, babies!!
— Syrus Phelps (@PhelpsCyrus) March 25, 2020
Earlier this week, the US President had sarcastically responded to news that Senator Romney was under self-quarantine after being exposed to the disease by quipping: “Gee, that’s too bad,” when told at a White House briefing that the politician was one of several self-isolating.
After a reporter then asked Trump: “Do I detect sarcasm there?”, the President responded:
“No, no, none whatsoever.”
The Utah senator and former presidential nominee was the sole Republican senator to vote for Donald Trump’s conviction on alleged abuse of power, one of the two charges during the President’s impeachment trial earlier in the year.
