- Late Broadway actor
Nick Cordero 's wifeAmanda Kloots shared an emotional Instagram criticizing PresidentDonald Trump 's dismissive tweet about COVID-19. Trump announced he had tested positive for coronavirus on October 2 and spent three days at Walter Reed Medical Center getting treated for it.- A few hours ahead of his discharge on Monday, Trump announced that he was "feeling really good" and urged that people shouldn't let the deadly virus "dominate" their lives.
- The White House didn't immediately respond to Insider's request for comment.
Amanda Kloots, widow of the late Broadway actor Nick Cordero, took to Instagram Monday night to criticize President Trump for his tweet urging Americans not to let the deadly, extremely contagious coronavirus "dominate" their lives. She called the tweet "hurtful" and "disgraceful."
"To all the over 208,000 Americans who lost loved ones to this virus — I stand by you, with you, holding your hand. Unfortunately it did dominate our lives didn't it? It dominated Nick's family's lives and my family's lives. I guess we 'let it' — like it was our choice?? Unfortunately not everyone is lucky enough to spend two days in the hospital." Kloots wrote in an emotional post.
Cordero, Kloots' husband, died on July 5 at the age of 41 after a months-long battle with the
President Trump shared on October 2 that both he and First Lady Melania had tested positive for the coronavirus. Following his diagnosis, he spent three days at the Walter Reed Medical Center.
Trump was discharged and returned to the White House on Monday, where he'll continue to be treated for the virus. He tweeted that he was feeling "better than [he] did 20 years ago" shortly before leaving the hospital.
—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
"Not everyone is lucky enough to walk out of the hospital after two days. We saw what this disease can do. So guess what? We are afraid. I still am," a tearful Kloots said in response.
Referencing Trump's urging the public not to "let [COVID-19] dominate your life," Kloots added, "No one is letting it. Nick didn't let it. It wasn't a choice."
Kloots said that Trump should show empathy for survivors and "grieving family members" of victims, and not "brag" about his own recovery.
In the days since Trump announced his diagnosis, a number of prominent people, like White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany and RNC chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, have also tested positive. There's some speculation that an event at the Rose Garden announcing Amy Coney Barrett's nomination to the Supreme Court might have potentially been a super spreader event that led to several government officials getting infected. Pictures from the event show there was little-to-no social distancing and not everyone wore a mask, as recommended.
Cordero was a Broadway performer who appeared in major productions like "Waitress" and "A Bronx Tale." He first became sick in March and was hospitalized on March 30, where his condition quickly deteriorated. He suffered from lung damage, and just over two weeks after being admitted to the hospital had to have his leg amputated due to complications from the virus.
Kloots, a former Broadway dancer turned fitness influencer, shared her family's journey on Instagram. She has continued to post videos and photos honoring Cordero in the months since his death.
"After you see the person you love the most die from this disease, you would never say what this tweet says," Kloots wrote alongside a screenshot of Trump's tweet.