Former press secretary for President Barack Obama Ben LaBolt has responded to President Donald Trump’s recent tweet about the coronavirus.
On Monday, multiple reports surfaced about the stock market decline as a result of the uncertainty surrounding the virus. Trump took to Twitter to refute the claims and assure the situation was “under control.”
He tweeted, “The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!”
The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA. We are in contact with everyone and all relevant countries. CDC & World Health have been working hard and very smart. Stock Market starting to look very good to me!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 24, 2020
Shortly after Trump’s tweet, LaBolt fired back with a statement about the virus and how doctors are said to be treating it. In a since-deleted series of tweets, LaBolt claimed credible information exists detailing how the coronavirus leaked from one of China’s “most sensitive labs.”
He’d also tweeted, “There is credible information the coronavirus leaked out of one of China’s most sensitive labs. Doctors are treating patients with heavy drugs used for HIV and Ebola.”
LaBolt added, “‘Nothing to see here,’ is not an acceptable message or plan.”
See the screenshot of LaBolt’s tweets below:
LaBolt added two additional tweets about China’s account of the virus. He questioned whether or not China’s reports are factual without further investigation. He continued, “I’m legitimately surprised at how many people are taking China’s account at face value without further investigation.”
He closed out his claims with one last piece of information. “Totally fair for folks to question the NY Post but I do think this data point is relevant: The P4 lab in Wuhan filed a patient for a Coronavirus vaccine in Q3 of last year,” LaBolt tweeted.
All of LaBolt’s previous tweets about the virus have been removed from Twitter. Today, he tweeted again about the virus citing the difference in statements from the CDC and White House.
“There is a huge gap between the CDC career officials guiding the coronavirus response and the happy talk coming from the White House. The more the White House lets expectations get out of whack, the more Americans are going to be ripshit when the virus spreads,” he wrote.
https://twitter.com/BenLaBolt/status/1232374464068931584
However, he did not offer a reason for deleting the previous tweets.