Sen. Elizabeth Warren blurred out a portion of President Trump’s tweet on the coronavirus amid debate over whether calling it the “Chinese virus” is racist.
On Wednesday, Trump tweeted that he “only signed the Defense Production Act to combat the Chinese Virus should we need to invoke it in a worst case scenario in the future.”
Warren responded Thursday morning: “President Trump, are your eyes stitched shut? Hospitals need test kits, ventilators, & other medical supplies. That’s why the DPA exists. Stop dragging your feet & burying your head & start helping hospitals that are about to be slammed by this pandemic.”
Instead of retweeting Trump’s comment, the Massachusetts Democrat shared a screenshot of the president’s message with the word “Chinese” censored.
President Trump, are your eyes stitched shut? Hospitals need test kits, ventilators, & other medical supplies. That’s why the DPA exists. Stop dragging your feet & burying your head & start helping hospitals that are about to be slammed by this pandemic. pic.twitter.com/9bb4Bl05ob
— Elizabeth Warren (@SenWarren) March 19, 2020
Trump has insisted that referring to the coronavirus as the Chinese virus is “not racist at all.”
“It comes from China; that’s why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate,” he told reporters at the White House coronavirus task force’s Wednesday briefing when he was pressed on his use of the term.
Critics have said the label is racially offensive and inaccurately represents the global spread of the virus.
