While speaking to reporters on Wednesday, President Donald Trump took a view of the COVID-19 outbreak—better known as the coronavirus—others seem to have overlooked.
The President told the gathered press of the benefits the United States was reaping from the reported deaths of over 3,000 people so far.
As reported by progressive publication The American Independent, Trump lauded increased shopping and hotel revenues from travelers who are no longer able to travel out of the country.
The Independent posted:
"Trump says there's a 'positive impact' to the worldwide coronavirus outbreak because people are 'staying in our country' and are 'shopping and using our hotels in this country'."
"3,221 (corrected to 3,112) people around the world have died from coronavirus, with 9 in the USA."
You can watch his remarks in their post.
The President said:
"A lot of people are staying in our country, and they're shopping and using our hotels in this country. So from that standpoint, I think probably there's a positive impact."
Trump also tried to blame this new strain of the long existing coronavirus—a strain that did not exist until 2019—on President Barack Obama.
The Obama administration left office in January 2017. That is over two years before the discovery of COVID-19—the strain of coronavirus that is proving more virulent and spreading more quickly than prior strains.
Neither of his claims were met with praise from people online who saw no upside of a potential pandemic.
@tonyarmbrust/Twitter
@ddohertyjr/Twitter
As more states confirm cases of COVID-19 and the international death toll rises, whether Trump continues to see the coronavirus as a boon for business remains to be seen.
As of Wednesday, March 4, the 2020 elections are 243 days away.
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