UPDATE: I guess Reuters didn't get the memo.
"Foreign virus," you say? pic.twitter.com/Io2zRtH8VB
— Matt Wolking (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@MattWolking) March 12, 2020
ORIGINAL POST
At the outset of President Trump's address to the nation Wednesday night on the ever growing threat of the coronavirus, he referred to the deadly disease as a "foreign virus." It originated in Wuhan, China before eventually making its way through Europe and here in the U.S., hence its "foreign" nature. But, Trump's critics didn't like the term, and used it to once again suggest the president's words were tinged with racism.
Facing criticism for his handling of the spread of COVID-19 inside the U.S., Trump has repeatedly resorted to a familiar reflex: blame foreigners https://t.co/1RxyZoQQRm
— TIME (@TIME) March 12, 2020
Early in his remarks, Trump notes the coronavirus "started in China" and calls it a "foreign virus."
— Aaron Blake (@AaronBlake) March 12, 2020
The WHO called coronavirus a pandemic, or a global threat, not bound to any location. President Trump called it a foreign virus. Yes, it started in China, but how can a more-or-less lifeless virus be foreign?
— Richard Engel (@RichardEngel) March 12, 2020
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"It's going to come across to a lot of Americans as smacking of xenophobia," CNN's Jim Acosta complained of the president's speech, who himself once referred to the virus as the "Wuhan Coronavirus."
Most of those supposedly offended Americans, however, are right there at CNN. Anchor Don Lemon had a meltdown when his guest John Kasich refused to condemn Trump's speech. Many other, saner viewers took no issue with the phrase "foreign virus" because it's fact check: true. Leaders like Rep. Kevin McCarthy have even taken to calling it the "Chinese coronavirus" or the "Wuhan virus." Also true. And by the way all McCarthy had to do to respond to the critical Democrats was present them with their own words.
Here we go again.? Democrats are trying to score political points by calling Republicans racist.
— Kevin McCarthy (@GOPLeader) March 11, 2020
Coronavirus is a China-born disease—made worse by a Communist Party that rejected America's help to contain it.
Which is why Dems & media called it "Chinese coronavirus" for weeks. pic.twitter.com/Km1rdn1R47
President Trump assured Americans Wednesday night that no nation is better prepared to take on this virus head on than the United States. Among his new courses of action, Trump announced that the U.S. is banning all travel from Europe - with the exception of the United Kingdom - beginning Friday at midnight, for the next 30 days.
"We are all in this together," Trump said. "We must put politics aside, stop the partisanship, and unify together as one nation and one family."
“We are all in this together. We must put politics aside, stop the partisanship, and unify together as one nation and one family."
— Lee Zeldin (@RepLeeZeldin) March 12, 2020
~President Trump
FACT CHECK: TRUEpic.twitter.com/G7kSnnfr63
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