President Trump thanked Chinese President Xi Jinping for his leadership in containing the coronavirus as the fatal illness spreads.
In a tweet posted Friday, Trump wrote, “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”
China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
Trump’s appreciative tweet to China comes hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced that 63 patients in 22 states were being contained because of potential coronavirus infections in what the agency called a “rapidly changing situation.” Coronavirus, which has claimed at least 26 lives, broke out in the Chinese city of Wuhan, which has since been placed on lockdown to keep the disease contained.
While China did take the step to isolate the outbreak, many have questioned whether the Chinese Communist Party covered up the illness and allowed the international spread of the virus. Mad Money host Jim Cramer noted that he doesn’t trust information coming out about the disease because China has “a history of lying.”
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton suggested that China should face “serious consequences” for how it handled the virus, adding, “The [Chinese Communist Party] is once again keeping the world in the dark about a deadly outbreak. This harmful approach will only ensure the virus spreads further. Beijing must be fully transparent starting now to prevent this from becoming a pandemic.”
