Rep. Louie Gohmert, the Texas Republican, told the “Todd Starnes Radio Show” Tuesday that the Chinese government has employed the Democrat playbook in an effort to criticize President Trump and his administration’s reaction to the coronavirus.
GOSAR FIRES BACK AT CRITICISM OVER ‘WUHAN VIRUS’ TWEET
Although both parties have spoken out about not politicizing the deadly virus, politics never appears to be too far from the response in Washington.
Gohmert said the virus is being used to demonize the president and Beijing has “picked up” on the Democrats who appear intent on blaming Trump.
“So now, even though it originated in Wuhan, in the Hubei Province, they’re trying to join forces with the Democrats,” he said, referring to Beijing. He said China wants Trump to lose in 2020 and is working to affect the election.
China on Monday criticized Secretary of State Mike Pompeo for referring to the disease as the Wuhan Virus, which was the name that mainstream media outlets used to identify the virus in its infancy. The World Health Organization changed the name to COVID-19 last month.
Geng Shuang, a foreign ministry spokesman, said referring to COVID-19 as the Wuhan Virus unfairly stigmatizes the country. China has criticized the U.S. over its decision to issue an early travel warning and evacuations last month.
Gohmert has returned to Capitol Hill after he said he was cleared by a Centers of Disease and Prevention physician after he was apparently in contact with the CPAC attendee who was later diagnosed with the virus.
Gohmert told the radio program that the physician told him to just “observe proper protocol” and wash his hands regularly and avoid as much personal contact as possible.
“We discussed all the specific circumstances of which he was aware along with my circumstances, including that I was and am asymptomatic, he said that all things considered, I was cleared to return to Washington,” Gohmert tweeted.