Ilhan Omar Says ‘Hundreds Of Thousands’ Could Die Due To Donald Trump’s ‘Failed’ Coronavirus Response
During an appearance on SiriusXM’s The Dean Obeidallah Show on Thursday, Minnesota Rep. Ilhan Omar blasted Donald Trump‘s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, suggesting it could lead to “hundreds of thousands” of deaths, Breitbart reported.
“I think with each day that goes by, it becomes clearer and clearer how badly this administration has completely failed the American people,” she said.
Omar, who was among many Democrats who previously praised Trump’s coronavirus response, contrasted the wealth of the United States and the many “advantages” the country has to the government’s handling of the crisis.
“Yet, thousands, hundreds of thousands of people could die because of his mismanagement, and his inability to be quite upfront with people is quite devastating.”
The 38-year-old congresswoman accused Trump of downplaying the COVID-19 crisis and failing to ensure the rollout of proper testing. She also accused the president of failing to fully utilize the Defense Production Act, which could be used to order the production of critical medical supplies that are in short stock.
“He still continues to not recognize the role that he’s supposed to be playing when it comes to leading a nation that is facing a pandemic,” Omar said after noting the lack of testing that America continues to face.
According to Omar, Trump’s “incompetency” and “narcissism” pushes him to focus on things like ratings, polls, and his treatment from governors — a purported tendency she called “completely appalling.”
“We want him to pay attention, lead, be honest, and not be so focused on pointing fingers and just do his job,” she added.
As reported by Fox News, Jeremy Slevin, an aide for Omar, claimed in a tweet that Trump’s perceived mishandling of the coronavirus is to blame for the recently projected deaths from the outbreak, which the White House believes could hit 240,000 even with social distancing. Omar retweeted Slevin’s tweet, which was posted on Tuesday.
In mid-March, Omar praised the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. Her comment came following the president’s decision to provide cash payments to Americans and suspend mortgage foreclosures, as well as the plan to harness the Defense Production Act.
The president’s handling of the pandemic continues to draw criticism, with some critics suggesting he is prioritizing the economy over the advice of public health experts. For example, despite medical experts pushing for a nationwide stay-at-home order, Mediaite reports that Trump has continued to resist such a course of action.
As The Inquisitr previously reported, Trump is extending the U.S. social distancing policy until April 30, walking back his previous goal of reopening the economy by Easter.
