- Multiple Asian-American lawmakers disputed President
Donald Trump 's claim that Asian Americans were all "VERY angry" at China. - Trump's tweet came one day after a tense exchange with a Chinese-American
news reporter. - "We are angry that people are dying and our country is #1 in cases and deaths due to a chaotic and uncoordinated response," entrepreneur and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate
Andrew Yang replied. - Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
Multiple Asian-American lawmakers sounded off in protest after President Donald Trump suggested they were all under the same ideological spectrum and angry at China's obfuscation of its coronavirus response, one day after his remarks at a Chinese-American news reporter was alleged to have racially-charged undertones.
Trump on Tuesday morning tweeted that Asian-Americans were "VERY angry at what China has done to our Country, and the World," appearing to refer to the Chinese government's history of concealing the early stages of the coronavirus that eventually evolved into a pandemic.
"Chinese Americans are the most angry of all," Trump tweeted. "I don't blame them!"
The tweet came one day after his tense exchange with CBS correspondent
Jiang, who was raised in West Virginia after immigrating from China, asked Trump why his administration was touting its coronavirus-testing numbers and comparing them with other countries' totals.
—Reuters (@Reuters) May 11, 2020
"Why does that matter? Why is this a global competition to you if every day Americans are still losing their lives and we're still seeing more cases every day?" Jiang asked Trump.
Trump, who has previously had heated exchanges with Jiang during press conferences, told her to "ask China." The Communist Party of China has been accused of distorting the number of coronavirus-related cases and deaths and downplaying concerns during the outbreak's early stages in December.
"Well, they're losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that's a question you should ask China," Trump said to Jiang. "Don't ask me. Ask China that question. OK? When you ask them that question, you may get a very unusual answer."
Trump attempted to take a question from another reporter, but Jiang persisted and suggested he may have been singling her out: "Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically — that I should ask China?"
Following Trump's Tuesday tweet, Asian-Americans in Congress and in political circles disputed his characterization of their support for his administration.
"We are angry that people are dying and our country is #1 in cases and deaths due to a chaotic and uncoordinated response," entrepreneur and former 2020 Democratic presidential candidate Andrew Yang replied in Trump's tweet.
Democratic Rep. Grace Meng of New York also replied to Trump: "We are very angry at you. You use racism to disguise your lack of responsiveness and responsibility. American lives of all backgrounds have been lost. Your words have led to increased discrimination against Asian Americans which will outlast the coronavirus."
The president and his administration's characterization of the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus" earlier this year was met with contempt from Democratic lawmakers and health officials, who suggested the label was "disparaging an entire ethnic group and culture."
"We are now watching in real time as the Republicans change the way they talk about coronavirus, intentionally stoking xenophobia in order to shift attention away from President Trump's truncated response," Democratic Rep. Judy Chu of California said in a statement in March.
"Trump has repeatedly labeled this pandemic as the 'Chinese virus,' and his loyal Republican followers have come to his defense in increasingly hateful terms," Chu added. "Their words are inciting racism and violence against Asian Americans in the United States."
Read the original article on Business Insider