While debating new legislation on Tuesday, Democrat Chairman Adam Smith (D-WA) told his colleagues on the House floor that they absolutely need to hold China accountable if they interfere with U.S. attempts to get a coronavirus vaccine. Yet, in the same breath, he appeared to exonerate China for hiding its knowledge about the disease.
"I do want to point out, and just simply make an urgent plea," Smith said. "One of the gentleman's arguments was that China hid the true risk of the virus from the American people. And yes that is terrible that China did that. It's not actually their job to warn the American people. It's the president's job to warn the American people."
If you listen closely you can hear groans in the room as the words leave his mouth.
Democrat Chairman Adam Smith defends China hiding the true nature of coronavirus:
— Mark Bednar (@MarkBednar) July 21, 2020
"It's not actually their job to warn the American people." pic.twitter.com/e8FevGR1G8
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also couldn't believe what he was hearing, and he reacted on Twitter. Why, he wondered, are Democrats "actively defending" China for its cover up of the coronavirus?
Why are Dem actively defending communist China for COVERING UP the Wuhan coronavirus, which has killed over 500k people worldwide? https://t.co/K9VkOBbOPX
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) July 22, 2020
As we've documented, China failed to tell the world that a deadly virus had escaped its borders. Now, it's a worldwide pandemic that has killed over 600,000 people. The number of U.S. deaths is over 140,000. As U.S. officials have noted, had China told us, we could have tried to help them contain it.
But in this political environment Democrats continue to blame President Trump. Former U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley ended the argument.
It is a new low for Pelosi to refer to the Trump Virus.She didn’t require masks in her committees until mid June & opposed the China travel ban.The only one to blame for this virus is China. Many have died. We should be unified on that front not playing political games with it.
— Nikki Haley (@NikkiHaley) July 22, 2020
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