Democratic Maryland Representative Jamie Raskin brilliantly dismissed Republican Colorado Representative Lauren Boebert's spurious claims about how former Republican President Donald Trump effectively handled the COVID-19 pandemic.
During a House Oversight Committee hearing on Tuesday, Boebert bemoaned pandemic-era health and safety mandates meant to curb the spreading of the virus.
The gun-toting Congresswoman maintained:
"President Trump was in office when the COVID virus was released from a lab in China, from the Wuhan lab."
“And he tried to make that very clear that this came from China, and reporters regularly dismissed that.”
Raskin rebutted Boebert's statement by presenting "two facts that perhaps she should be alerted to."
After expressing he appreciated "the gentlelady's passion," Raskin proceeded with his counterargument by bringing up two factual points.
“One is that Donald Trump, on more than 20 different occasions, defended the performance of the Chinese government and specifically President Xi in terms of his treatment of COVID-19 and said he was doing a ‘wonderful job’ and a ‘great job’ and they were working closely and they were constantly in touch."
Raskin added:
“So, if there’s a problem with the Chinese government unleashing a virus―which has not been proven anywhere, but it certainly could be true―you would have to pin that on your favorite president, Donald Trump, not on Joe Biden.”
For his second point, Raskin mentioned Deborah Birx, the global health specialist who served as the White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator under Trump from February 2020 to January 2021.
Raskin said Birx–who authored Silent Invasion: The Untold Story of the Trump Administration, Covid-19, and Preventing the Next Pandemic Before It's Too Late–revealed how the Trump Administration's "lethal and recklessness" in handling the pandemic "cost Americans hundreds of thousands of lives."
Raskin shaded the MAGA Rep. by casually telling her, "I'm sure you're aware, and I'm sure you read her book," before emphasizing his point.
“So you don’t have to believe anybody on the Democratic side of the aisle. That’s Donald Trump’s own special adviser on COVID-19."
You can watch Raskin shutting down Boebert here.
\u201cRaskin: Trump on more than 20 different occasions defended the performance of the Chinese government in terms of COVID.. so if there is a problem with the Chinese government unleashing the virus.. you would have to pin that on your favorite President Donald Trump not Joe Biden\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
Twitter had Raskin's back providing screenshots of Trump's old tweets supporting the Chinese government's COVID-19 response.
\u201c@Acyn Here\u2019s just a few.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn @atrupar BoBo must forget that we keep receipts.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn Yep and Jamie Raskin knows there are tweets to prove it!\n\nJust like these tweets right here:\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn Oh look, here's one ...\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn Trump praising Xi and predicting \u201cit will all work out well.\u201d\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
Social media users particularly enjoyed how Raskin destroyed Boebert by mentioning Birx's memoir.
\u201c@Acyn \u201cI\u2019m sure you read the book\u201d omg!! I can\u2019t breathe!! \ud83d\ude02 I looove me some Raskin shade. So good\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn LOL. Raskin to Boebert, referring to Birx memoir: \n\n"I'm sure you've read her book.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn Raskin is my forever hero! \ud83d\udd25\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn @MeidasTouch Thank you once again Rep. Raskin for speaking the truth and taking Boebert to task! Well done Sir!\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn Another Raskin dunk! She makes it too easy\ud83e\udd23\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn I\u2019m just chuckling over Raskin\u2019s statement that he\u2019s sure that the gentle lady \u201cread her (Birk\u2019s) book.\u201d I would guess that the gentle lady hasn\u2019t read any books or briefs or essays\u2026. related to the topic at hand.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn @MuellerSheWrote I have so much respect and appreciation for @RepRaskin .\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn That fact that he said to her, \u201cI\u2019m sure you read her book\u201d with a straight face made me lol.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn OMG @RepBoebert you just got annialated by the absolute truth! Nice work, @RepRaskin; always a gentleman, and always articulate, always accurate.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
\u201c@Acyn It's refreshing to hear structured counterpoints with specific references.\u201d— Acyn (@Acyn) 1677602504
When the global virus started rampaging the nation, then-President Trump was criticized for suppressing scientific data, mocking vaccine and mask mandates, holding superspreader political events, and spreading misinformation about DIY self-treatment COVID-19 cures based on unsubstantiated theories.
By the time Trump left office on January 20, 2021, more than 450,000 Americans died from COVID-19.
In an October 2021 House Subcommittee meeting, Birx said that trump didn't do as much as he could have to prevent up to 40% of the nation's death toll related to COVID-19.
