In a comment that would make one think the word of the day was “foment,” the president said Democrats “could have been looking into China” instead of “wasting all that time” impeaching him at the beginning of the year.
Trump suggests Democrats are responsible for the coronavirus outbreak being so bad in the US because they were allegedly preoccupied with impeaching him instead of investigating China in January pic.twitter.com/dGZwkHIz5D
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 20, 2020
“A lot of people are blaming the Democrats for wasting all that time, because it was during that period of time - as you know - that [COVID-19] was fomenting,” he claimed, immediately thereafter claiming that he believes there has been “a great spirit of bipartisanship” while “the people are coming together” amid the pandemic.
“I do think that the press, the media, foments a lot of this - a lot of anger. I really believe it. Foments tremendous anger,” Trump claimed.
Trump was formally impeached on two articles by the House of Representatives on December 18, 2019. The Senate trial, which resulted in the acquittal of Trump for the counts of abuse of power and obstruction of Congress, began on January 14 after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced the names of the House managers prosecuting the case.
The US president’s implication that Democrats could have been able to better protect the US from the novel coronavirus if they had not been so focused on the impeachment process did not go over well with netizens old enough to recall what’s happened over the past four months.
"I haven't left the White House in months". pic.twitter.com/GxbEc7yf8p
— D Villella ❄️ (@dvillella) April 20, 2020
Liar was still holding rallies and golfing at Tax payers expense while lying about virus since notified last year
— Nakesha Horsey😍 (@nakesha_horsey) April 20, 2020
Our president and his crime family are dependent on China.
— Irish Chewbacca (@sonofthechief) April 20, 2020
He is all talk. pic.twitter.com/KDQg3DcGby
Pretty sure that's the CDC's job, not the Democrats. Who's in charge of the CDC again?
— Bobby Blue Byrd (@bluebirdofunhap) April 20, 2020
I thought the president was in charge? He blames Dems for the Coronavirus because they were preoccupied with impeachment. I think Trump was preoccupied with impeachment and ignored the seriousness of the virus threat.
— Midge (@MargieC5) April 20, 2020
Yet he still has not said what he did in February.
— 999Username000 (@OrionWinning) April 20, 2020
— PAPABEAR 🐻⬇ (@ZeuceP) April 20, 2020
He’s off on a completely nonsensical tangent
— AZBlueDot 🇺🇸 (@kdd774) April 20, 2020
The remarks from Trump during the briefing came days after newly-appointed White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany posted a tweet with similar rhetoric.
When President Trump was taking early action to restrict travel from China and save American lives, Pelosi was focused on the Democrats’ sham impeachment.
— Kayleigh McEnany (@PressSec) April 15, 2020
Trump also took time on Monday to tweet that the “Radical Left” and “Do Nothing Democrats” are playing a “very dangerous political game” by calling for more COVID-19 testing by the federal government.
... “Testing, Testing, Testing,” again playing a very dangerous political game. States, not the Federal Government, should be doing the Testing - But we will work with the Governors and get it done. This is easy compared to the fast production of thousands of complex Ventilators!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 20, 2020
