Months after US President Donald Trump was slammed for terming coronavirus as Chinese virus, he used yet another racist term for the pandemic by calling it 'Kung Flu'. Making a sarcastic reference to Kung Fu, the Chinese martial arts in which people use only their bare hands and feet to fight, Trump blamed China for spreading the virus globally.
The global pandemic, believed to have originated in China in December last year, has so far infected over 8.9 million people globally and killed more than 466,000 people. In the US 2.3 million people have tested positive for the virus even as 121,900 have died.
Trump Says Coronavirus is a Disease With Many Names
Trump called COVID-19 Kung Flu during a rally at Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday night. According to The Hill, just hours before the president's rally, six members of his campaign team tested positive for COVID-19. However, the campaign noted that none of the staffers who tested positive or anyone who's been in immediate contact with them would be at the rally Saturday, reported the publication.
Calling coronavirus a disease, Trump said: "It's a disease, without question, has more names than any disease in history. I can name – Kung flu. I can name 19 different versions of names. Many call it a virus, which it is. Many call it a flu. What difference. I think we have 19 or 20 versions of the name."
Earlier, Trump contemplated about the term Covid-19, being used to describe the Coronavirus Disease 2019. "That name gets further and further away from China, as opposed to calling it the Chinese virus," he said.
Since the outbreak of the pandemic in December last year, Trump has repeatedly blamed China for the origin and spread of the fatal virus. The allegations have further deteriorated the relationship between the two nuclear nations.
Twitter Slams Trump, Call Him Racist
It is not for the first time that Trump has used a racist term to describe the virus and blame China for it. Earlier this year, Trump had called it the Chinese virus, causing widespread protests on social media and China.
The term Kung Flu invited angry reactions on the micro-blogging site, actively used by Trump to express his thoughts. "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," wrote Chris Evans.
"@realDonaldTrump POTUS, what used to be a respected title, will never be the same. Your comment ''Kung Flu'' to target asians, is highly racist and you are a walking human dumpster trash. The filthiest. To call you a cockroach would be an insult to these insects," expressed another user.
"Kung flu is not prejudice, discrimination, or antagonism. It's a joke," expressed a user. "Calling corona virus "KUNG FLU" is brilliant. This @realDonaldTrump can really be hilarious at times," tweeted other.
...he...he called it "Kung Flu"???
— Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) June 21, 2020
120,000 Americans are dead. And he's telling jokes about it.
