Trump accuses Democrats of 'politicizing coronavirus' outbreak, links it to immigration

During his campaign rally in North Charleston, South Carolina, the United States President Donald Trump not only called the deadly coronavirus as Democrats' “new hoax” but also linked it to immigration on February 29. As the US witnessed the first death of a COVID-19 patient with at least 71 confirmed cases, Trump accused Democrats of  “politicising the coronavirus”. The Trump administration has been widely criticised for a “chaotic” approach towards the handling of the epidemic and also appointing US Vice President Mike Pence to lead the coronavirus task force in the country. 

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However, in a packed rally for his re-election at Coliseum and Performing Arts Center, Trump also defended the handling of the outbreak by his administration and called it 'new hoax' after Russian investigation in American elections and the impeachment. Furthermore, he linked the outbreak with immigration and talked about the Democrat policy of open borders which according to him is a “direct threat” to the wellbeing of US citizens. However, the US President did not cite any evidence to link the COVID-19 with migration at the southern border where much of his anti-immigration policy is reportedly focussed.

“We are doing everything in our power to keep the infection and those carrying the infection from entering the country. We have no choice,” Trump said. “Whether it’s the virus that we’re talking about or the many other public health threats, the Democrat policy of open borders is a direct threat to the health and wellbeing of all Americans.” 

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Mike Pence's appointment heavily criticised

Trump declared that it would be his Vice President Mike Pence who would lead the White House Coronavirus Taskforce. At the White House conference on February 27, Trump not only said that the US has the “greatest experts in the world” but chose Pence to decide how to contain the epidemic that originated in China. However, the man who had once claimed as mayor of Indiana, that “smoking doesn't kill”, has been highly criticised for heading country's response to the fatal virus which has infected at least 82,000 people in the world. 

US health specialists were reportedly outraged by Trump's appointment and called it 'endangering' which added to the criticism of US President's administration has been facing for handling the outbreak. According to international reports, Pence had made several ill-informed decisions regarding public health throughout his political career and therefore, one epidemiology professor compared the latest appointment to “putting an arsonist in charge of the fire department”. 

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