The COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic spreading across the world has present challenges for President Donald Trump.
In addition to the public health challenge facing the administration, Trump's 2020 reelection campaign is also faced with an economic crisis as the virus disrupts global supply chains.
"Investors around the world retreated from stocks and piled into haven assets including government bonds and gold, reflecting escalating worries that the coronavirus will disrupt the global economy," The Wall Street Journal reported Monday. "The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped more than 1,000 points—its biggest point decline in more than two years; the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury note approached a record low; and gold prices climbed for the eighth straight session to a seven-year high."
Trump, however, attempted to reassure Americans by claiming that "the coronavirus is very much under control in the USA."
"Stock market starting to look very good to me," Trump added, despite the stock market crash.
The president was harshly criticized for his statement. Here's some of what people were saying.
@realDonaldTrump Says the out of control, cretinous criminal cockwaffle who told everyone the #coronavirus would go… https://t.co/85ZBcFnuQu— Lesley Abravanel🆘 (@Lesley Abravanel🆘)1582581234.0
@realDonaldTrump In case you were wondering the extent to which the president is willing to try and gaslight you, t… https://t.co/Pk4lCNfoWI— Brian Tyler Cohen (@Brian Tyler Cohen)1582584660.0
@realDonaldTrump Stock market? Are you high? The Dow plunges 1,000 points on coronavirus fears, the 3.5% drop is w… https://t.co/258MCq3fuQ— Sideline_Observer (@Sideline_Observer)1582581748.0
@realDonaldTrump A "very good" stock market is AFTER it goes down 1000... and you WONDER why people call you unstable?— Byron Ricketts (@Byron Ricketts)1582581801.0
@realDonaldTrump I believe #WallStreet is telling you you’re a despicable pathological liar and not to be trusted w… https://t.co/aJ50skBd8h— Andy Ostroy (@Andy Ostroy)1582581101.0
@realDonaldTrump oh look everyone, we're in phase 1, "deny it's happening." cool story my lying dude https://t.co/rwrph0kNpi— Jeff Tiedrich (@Jeff Tiedrich)1582580736.0
@realDonaldTrump The stock market tanked today, dude.— Angela Belcamino (@Angela Belcamino)1582580771.0
@realDonaldTrump Trump cut millions in funding to the CDC on epidemics, pandemics & research for disease. He refuse… https://t.co/FglLcwdtzs— Trinity (@Trinity)1582583153.0
@realDonaldTrump Fetal tissue research helped us develop vaccines for polio, measles, mumps, rubella, and chicken p… https://t.co/B3cnlSaJ5j— Eugene Gu, MD (@Eugene Gu, MD)1582581040.0
It’s past 3 am in India and Trump is tweeting the stock market looks very good on a day when the Dow was down 1000… https://t.co/g3x0wFYGuW— Jim Acosta (@Jim Acosta)1582582861.0
Economic facts: - All six of the biggest drops in US stock market history have been during the Trump administratio… https://t.co/KuQliFyxHJ— John Oberlin (@John Oberlin)1582568909.0
Thinking about this Goolsbeeism today, as Trump tells everyone not to worry about Coronavirus because the Stock mar… https://t.co/8BcnDoN5iN— Catherine Rampell (@Catherine Rampell)1582583634.0
General rule: When Trump tells you not to worry, you should worry. https://t.co/A20Tpuj8Qy— Windsor Mann (@Windsor Mann)1582581477.0
First, it signals to US citizens and hospitals that they have nothing to worry about ("very much under control").… https://t.co/bYTGg1dilc— Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk)1582583850.0
If you're a hospital administrator weighing whether to trigger burdensome prep protocols, or a governor weighing wh… https://t.co/0SAbZLsgP9— Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk)1582583852.0
And as we've seen with Sharpie-gate, there will be intense pressure within the bureaucracy to bring their assessmen… https://t.co/SSEYnipTcZ— Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk)1582583852.0
Third, it signals what Trump's main focus is: not how his government is protecting Americans' health, but avoiding… https://t.co/hXZlS8spib— Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk)1582583853.0
A final thought - irresponsible leadership practice aside, this is also political malpractice. Given that Italy sud… https://t.co/F7UYtgWM3b— Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk)1582583853.0
If we suddenly find an Italy-type scenario of undetected transmission, the president's tweet will not age very well. /end— Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk (@Jeremy PLEASE WEAR MASKS! Konyndyk)1582583853.0
@realDonaldTrump You've only made things worse. https://t.co/3JWpJs0RDv— Sarah Burris (@Sarah Burris)1582580657.0
Trump says the ‘Stock Market starting to look very good’ — after the worst investor panic in 2 years https://t.co/ON53cifOG6— Raw Story (@Raw Story)1582584240.0
Fox graphic.Screengrab.
