Donald Trump’s Latest Coronavirus Comment Slammed As ‘So Cruel And Cynical’
Donald Trump’s latest reported insensitive comment about COVID-19 sparked anger on Twitter Thursday, with accusations the president again has shown his contempt for Americans.
In a video released by the Republican Voters Against Trump group, former White House official Olivia Troye claimed the president (a notorious germaphobe) once said an upside of the coronavirus pandemic was that he’d no longer “have to shake hands with these disgusting people.”
“Those disgusting people are the same people that he claims to care about,” Troye said. “These are the same people still going to his rallies today who have complete faith in who he is.”
Check out the video here:
The recollection of Troye, a longtime Republican who during her time as an aide to Vice President Mike Pence sat on the White House coronavirus task force, drew widespread condemnation on social media. In the same video, Troye slammed Trump’s response to the pandemic and endorsed Democratic nominee Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Trump last month callously dismissed the soaring death toll from the crisis, telling Jonathan Swan of Axios that “it is what it is.”
“When a former top Pence staffer goes on the record to say that Trump described *his own supporters* as ‘disgusting people’ ― it becomes even more credible than it already was that he referred to America’s war dead as ‘losers’ and ‘suckers,’” tweeted David Frum, a speechwriter for former President George W. Bush.
Carol Giacomo, a member of The New York Times’ editorial board, described Trump’s comment as “so cruel and cynical.”
“I don’t have to shake hands with these disgusting people.” — President Donald J. Trump.
Baskets of deplorables, perhaps?— Laurence Tribe (@tribelaw) September 18, 2020
When a former top Pence staffer goes on the record to say that Trump described *his own supporters* as "disgusting people" - it becomes even more credible than it already was that he referred to America's war dead as "losers" and "suckers"
— David Frum (@davidfrum) September 17, 2020
Wow. "Disgusting people" -- that's the phrase which jumped out to me. Listen and remember that Olivia Troye is a former official in Trump's White House. https://t.co/pU1SZRFSNJ
— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) September 17, 2020
Ummm this Olivia Troye (pence wh aid) report of Trump saying he was happy about coronavirus bc it means he doesn’t have to ‘shake the hands of disgusting people anymore’. Y’all trump fans go so hard for a guy that doesn’t even want to touch your ass 😩😂
— Aubrey O'Day (@AubreyODay) September 18, 2020
And this comment Troye attributes to @realDonaldTrump is so cruel and cynical: At one coronavirus task force meeting, she said Trump suggested "maybe this Covid thing is a good thing ...I don't like shaking hands w/people. I don't have to shake hands w/these disgusting people." https://t.co/3cUGzwuZcC
— Carol Giacomo (@giacomonyt) September 17, 2020
Most damning part of her testimonial is her quote of Trump:
"Maybe this COVID thing is a good thing... I don't like shaking hands with people. I don't have to shake hands with these disgusting people."
The "disgusting people" Trump was referring to were his own supporters.— Mike Collier (@CollierForTexas) September 17, 2020
Listen to her. Trump has contempt for the health of millions and for his own supporters , adding that COVID could be “good” b/c he would no longer have to shake hands with “these disgusting people.” https://t.co/gpp5ZMnbk5
— Robert Shrum (@BobShrum) September 17, 2020
The President of the United States thinks you are disgusting. "I don't like shaking hands with people. I don't have to shake hands with these disgusting people," Troye claimed Trump said at the meeting. https://t.co/ie1Gefm7Eq
— Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) September 17, 2020
Tonight in Wisconsin thousands of Trump supporters are putting their lives at risk to support their President who, in a WH coronavirus task force meeting, referred to his supporters as disgusting people.
— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) September 17, 2020
"I don't have to shake hands with these disgusting people"
Dear @realDonaldTrump supporters: he thinks you're "disgusting". He thinks your friends & relatives who died defending America are "losers" & "suckers". Are you ready to dump him yet? #Trump https://t.co/KlLgsinz9i— Andy Ostroy (@AndyOstroy) September 18, 2020
In which Trump refers to the MAGA diehards currently risking catching a deadly virus to attend his rallies "disgusting people." https://t.co/yTlfLN5Neq
— Max Steele (@maxasteele) September 17, 2020
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost and has been updated.