After being released from the hospital, Donald Trump announced his return to the White House on Twitter.
On Monday, President Trump tweeted that he would be leaving the Walter Reed National Military Medical Center where he was being treated since Friday. According to Buzzfeed, Trump’s doctor admitted that the president had to be put on oxygen and that he had been given dexamethasone, “which, according to the World Health Organization, is recommended for patients “with severe and critical COVID-19″‘. Furthermore, Mark Meadows, Trump’s chief of staff, also told the press that the president’s symptoms were ‘very concerning’. Nevertheless, Trump’s announcement on Twitter conveyed an entirely different message as he wrote:
I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 5, 2020
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
This tweet outraged numerous people, among which were several celebrities.
Unsurprisingly, the president’s comments were seen as being insensitive, immature, and reckless. According to most, it showed a complete disregard for the hundreds of thousands of families who have lost their loved ones as a result of the deadly virus. What is more, numerous people replied to Trump’s tweet, reminding him that not everyone can afford access to the kind of treatment and care that he received. Chris Evans, the star of Captain America, was one of the celebrities who publicly criticized the president’s tweet as he wrote:
Don’t be afraid of Covid?!
You’ve been under round-the-clock care by the best doctors using the best drugs. Do you really think everyone has access to that?!
Sadly, I’m sure you’re aware of that disparity, you just don’t care
This is reckless to a shocking degree, even for you https://t.co/H8CGlD9DcZ
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) October 5, 2020
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans)
In addition to Chris Evans, actress and singer Mandy Moore also condemned Trump’s statement as she tweeted:
Don’t be afraid of covid? Tell that to the 210,000 families who have lost loved ones. To the Black, Brown and Indigenous folks disproportionately affected. With tens of millions of jobs lost and the economy tanked. Many of us isolated for months. You’re the cruelest. #votehimout https://t.co/QhM47Pa3lx
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) October 5, 2020
Trump’s message downplays the severity of the virus and its consequences. It is vital that people continue to follow the social distancing guidelines to ensure that they keep themselves and the ones around them safe. Not everyone has access to a private helicopter, free healthcare, and their own team of doctors.
