President Donald Trump angered celebrities, leftists, and reporters after he said during a campaign rally on Saturday that some people called the coronavirus the “Kung-flu.”
“Its a disease without question has more names than any disease in history,” Trump said. “I could name Kung-Flu, I could name nineteen different names.”
Trump spoke about the coronavirus during a campaign rally in Tulsa on Saturday night.
That angered many verified users on Twitter who quickly condemned the term as racist and appeared furious that President Trump used it.
The term became widely known after CBS reporter Weijia Jiang said that someone in the White House called the coronavirus the “Kung-Flu” to her face.
The president also repeated the phrase “Chinese virus” to describe the coronavirus, reminding the audience that it came from China.
UPDATE: At his rally in Tulsa just now, President Trump referred to #Coronavirus as the “Kung-Flu”. https://t.co/yt7rXLzvHi
— Weijia Jiang (@weijia) June 21, 2020
Trump just called coronavirus “kung-flu” in an obvious moment of racism.
— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) June 21, 2020
Trump uses the racist term “Kung Flu” to describe the coronavirus.
— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) June 21, 2020
Did the president of the United States just say ‘Kung flu’ at his rally?
He made a racist joke.
He made. A racist. Joke.
To applause.
I’m speechless.
— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) June 21, 2020
Trump is cracking jokes in Tulsa about Covid-19, calling it “kung flu” which is not only racist but belittles the deaths of 122K Americans and the horrific loss for their families.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) June 21, 2020
To be clear, calling covid-19 “Kung Flu” is racist, period.
— Philip Rucker (@PhilipRucker) June 21, 2020
Trump talking about “Kung-flu” while Tulsa is at record high coronavirus cases. Health advisors said don’t do the rally; he did it anyway. No masks, no social distancing. People will get sick, some will die…all to feed his ego & prop up his sinking ship…they applaud.🏽♀️
— Maya Harris (@mayaharris_) June 21, 2020
Kung-flu? Racist much?
— Steve Scott (@SteveScottNEWS) June 21, 2020
He keeps pronouncing it “COVED.” Now going with “kung-flu,” to many cheers. “We have 19 or 20 versions of the name.”
— Dylan Goforth (@DGoforth918) June 21, 2020
“kung-flu” makes me wanna go burn shit down. oh yeah, forgot about that anti-asian racism!
— ohmgee (@ohmgee) June 21, 2020
President Trump just used the term “kung flu” to describe coronavirus.
.@weijia reported weeks ago that a WH aide used the term to her face and the WH tried to hint that she was making it up.
Now, we know the president uses the term which is seen as deragatory and racist.
— Yamiche Alcindor (@Yamiche) June 21, 2020
