President Donald Trump on Tuesday said that Chinese Americans were the “most angry” at China for failing to contain the coronavirus.
“Asian Americans are VERY angry at what China has done to our Country, and the World,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Chinese Americans are the most angry of all. I don’t blame them!”
Asian Americans are VERY angry at what China has done to our Country, and the World. Chinese Americans are the most angry of all. I don’t blame them!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 12, 2020
The president commented after cable news criticized him for telling a Chinese American journalist on Monday to “ask China” about whether it was a good thing that the United States was leading the world on testing.
Here is the exchange:
Jiang: You said many times that the U.S. is doing far better than any other country when it comes to testing.
Trump: Yes.
Jiang: Why does that matter? Why is this a global competition to you, if everyday Americans are still losing their lives, and we’re still seeing more cases every day
Trump: Well, they’re losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that’s a question you should ask China. Don’t ask me, ask China that question, okay? When you ask them that question you may get a very unusual answer. Yes, behind you, please.
Jiang: Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically, that I should ask China?
Trump: I’m telling you. I’m not saying it specifically to anybody. I’m saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that. Please go ahead.
Jiang: That’s not a nasty question. Why does it matter…
Critics of the president claimed that the president’s comment was racist.
“It is racist to look at an Asian-American White House correspondent and say, ‘Ask China,’” CNN’s Brian Stelter said after the exchange.
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