American leftists have joined with the Chinese communist government in condemning President Donald Trump’s recent tweet — specifically his decision to call the coronavirus “the Chinese Virus.” While the virus originated in Wuhan, China, many have warned that referring to it as the “Wuhan Virus” or the “Chinese Virus” would inflame racism against Chinese people. Yet it seems the liberal outrage and the Chinese government response are little more than a political attack against the president.
“The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!” the president tweeted.
The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2020
The Chinese government rushed to condemn the response as racist, adopting leftist accusations against the president.
“This stigmatizes China,” Geng Shuang, a spokesman for the Chinese foreign ministry, said in a statement about the tweet. “We urge the US to immediately correct its mistake, and stop it unreasonable accusations against China.”
“The @WHO and the international community have clearly stated viruses shouldn’t be linked to certain countries or regions to avoid stigma. We urge the US to immediately correct its mistake, and stop it unreasonable accusations against China.”-China on Trump “Chinese virus” remark
— Eunice Yoon (@onlyyoontv) March 17, 2020
China’s state news agency, Xinhua, condemned the tweet as “racist and xenophobic,” claiming it revealed “politicians’ irresponsibility and incompetence.”
Anti-Trump Americans pushed the same line of attack.
“If you’re looking for someone to pin this crisis on, try the guy who made up a phony Google website or promised testing kits that he STILL hasn’t delivered,” New York Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted. “Our Asian-American communities — people YOU serve — are already suffering. They don’t need you fueling more bigotry.”
If you’re looking for someone to pin this crisis on, try the guy who made up a phony Google website or promised testing kits that he STILL hasn’t delivered.
Our Asian-American communities — people YOU serve — are already suffering. They don’t need you fueling more bigotry. https://t.co/jjcO7treC2
— Mayor Bill de Blasio (@NYCMayor) March 17, 2020
Yet Trump was not trying to “pin the crisis” on the Chinese, he was merely referring to the disease as coming from China, which it did. Indeed, legacy media outlets have repeatedly referred to the coronavirus as the “Chinese coronavirus.” Many of the same talking heads who condemn Trump’s use of the term as xenophobia used that very term to describe the virus mere weeks ago.
Rep. Mark Takano (D-Calif.) insisted that Trump’s tweet was “incredibly racist.”
“Let me be clear: Calling [COVID-19] the ‘Chinese Virus’ is incredibly racist. Ignorant tweets will only lead to hate and discrimination against the Asian American community. Stop tweeting racist things and start figuring out how we are getting test kits to everyone who needs one,” Takano tweeted.
Let me be clear: Calling #COVID19 the "Chinese Virus" is incredibly racist.
Ignorant tweets will only lead to hate and discrimination against the Asian American community.
Stop tweeting racist things and start figuring out how we are getting test kits to everyone who needs one. https://t.co/s6sKtkGNcU
— Mark Takano (@RepMarkTakano) March 17, 2020
Eugene Gu, a left-leaning former practicing physician and CEO of Coolkit who has more than 300,000 Twitter followers, claimed the president’s tweet is an attempt to normalize racism. “Trump’s strategy is to keep calling the coronavirus the ‘Chinese Virus’ until we become desensitized to his racism and it becomes mundane for everyone in both mainstream and social media. The outrage gets less and less until it’s just accepted as a matter of course,” Gu tweeted.
Trump’s strategy is to keep calling the coronavirus the “Chinese Virus” until we become desensitized to his racism and it becomes mundane for everyone in both mainstream and social media. The outrage gets less and less until it’s just accepted as a matter of course.
— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) March 17, 2020
Amnesty International also attacked Trump’s tweet. “This is not a Chinese virus or an American virus. It’s a global pandemic. Leaders have to lead & protect all people,” the left-leaning nonprofit tweeted.
This is not a Chinese virus or an American virus. It’s a global pandemic. Leaders have to lead & protect all people. https://t.co/1UL2RytXHp
— Amnesty International (@amnesty) March 17, 2020
Jake Maccoby, a former speechwriter for Obama Attorneys General Eric Holder and Loretta Lynch, returned to the Trump-Russia conspiracy theory, as though the Mueller report had never been released. “Calling corona a Chinese virus is pretty rich from a Russian president,” Maccoby tweeted.
Calling corona a Chinese virus is pretty rich from a Russian president
— Jake Maccoby (@jdmaccoby) March 17, 2020
David Frum twisted Trump’s words to make them appear racist. “The reason sensible people resist Trump’s urging to call coronavirus ‘China infection’ or ‘Yellow Peril’ or whatever name he’s test-marketing tonight is that it’s just TOO BLINKING OBVIOUS that his purpose is to redirect attention from his failure to do his job competently,” he tweeted.
The reason sensible people resist Trump’s urging to call coronavirus “China infection” or “Yellow Peril” or whatever name he’s test-marketing tonight is that it’s just TOO BLINKING OBVIOUS that his purpose is to redirect attention from his failure to do his job competently.
— David Frum (@davidfrum) March 17, 2020
Mark Levin called out The Atlantic — Frum’s publication — for covering for the Chinese Communist Party while attacking Trump. “The Atlantic spews communist China’s propaganda while trashing the Trump administration. And it’s not alone among the American media,” Levin tweeted.
The Atlantic spews communist China’s propaganda while trashing the Trump administration. And it’s not alone among the American media.https://t.co/aIgLHb2SbX
— Mark R. Levin (@marklevinshow) March 16, 2020
Washington Times National Security Correspondent Bill Gertz also framed the issue well: “The president pushes back against Chinese Communist Party disinformation that the virus originated in the US by correctly describing it as the Chinese virus. Woke PC liberals get vapors.”
The president pushes back against Chinese Communist Party disinformation that the virus originated in the US by correctly describing it as the Chinese virus. Woke PC liberals get vapors https://t.co/nBZRUcbxQv
— Bill Gertz (@BillGertz) March 17, 2020
Indeed, while American leftists warn about the “racism” of calling the coronavirus “the Chinese virus,” the Chinese Communist Party has blamed America for the virus — which originated in China!
If inflaming racism were truly Trump’s goal, he might have called the virus the “Yellow Peril” (as Frum said) or the “Hun Virus.” Instead, the president used an accurate geographic term that pushes back on Chinese communist propaganda.
American leftists, anxious to blame Trump despite his decisive life-saving action and his public-private partnership to fight the virus, echo the Chinese Communist Party in accusing the president of racism. Have they no shame?
Tyler O’Neil is the author of Making Hate Pay: The Corruption of the Southern Poverty Law Center. Follow him on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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