House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) is offering a different take on President Donald Trump’s apparent shift in messaging on the coronavirus outbreak.
Pelosi appeared on CNN’s “The Situation Room” Tuesday evening where she weighed in on Trump’s remarks during Tuesday’s press briefing.
Although the president appears to be taking a different stance on the coronavirus, Pelosi is arguing that the president’s “inaction” is the only reason the virus “will get worse before it gets better.”
“Well, I think with the president’s comments today, he recognized the mistakes he has made by now embracing mask-wearing and the recognition this is not a hoax. It is a pandemic that has gotten worse before it will get better because of his inaction,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi debuted a new nickname for the virus as revealed her reason for holding the president accountable for the United States’ pandemic response.
“In fact, clearly, it is the Trump virus,” Pelosi added.
See Pelosi’s remarks below:
The top Democratic lawmaker went on to note Trump’s actions prior to the press briefing on Tuesday.
From not publicly wearing a mask for a while to holding presidential rallies while many did not follow social distancing guidelines, Pelosi argues that if Trump had taken his current stance at the beginning of the pandemic, the country might be in a very different place as his supporters would have followed his lead.
“The Trump virus,” Pelosi said again. “If he had said months ago, let’s wear masks, let’s not — let’s socially distance instead of having rallies and political whatever they were, then more people would have followed his lead.”
She also expressed concern about the need for a “return to science and governance” to combat the pandemic. Despite discussions about the vaccine, Pelosi noted that it is still months away. In the meantime, more people “will die,” she said.
“If they don’t return to science and governance — and that’s a way that we can overcome this,” the California Democrat said. “We hope and pray for a vaccine. God willing that will be soon.”
Pelosi continued, “But it’s still months away, and people will die. So let’s hope that the president comes closer to embracing the reality of this pandemic, this Trump virus.”
During Tuesday’s press briefing, Trump said, “It will probably, unfortunately, get worse before it gets better — something I don’t like saying about things, but that’s the way it is.”