On Tuesday, President Trump claimed on Twitter that Asian Americans are angry at “what China has done to” the United States, The Guardian reports.
The tweet comes a day after Trump clashed with a Chinese American reporter Weijia Jiang during a Monday evening press conference. Jiang asked Trump why he continues to wrongly claim that the US is outperforming many countries in terms of testing for the coronavirus, according to NBC News.
“Why is this a global competition to you if every day Americans are still losing their lives and we’re still seeing more cases every day?” Jiang asked Trump.
Trump told Jiang that she should ask China her question.
According to The Guardian, Trump continued the press conference but Jiang interjected to ask him why he directed the comment about China to her.
“Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically?” Jiang asked
Trump said in response, ““I am not saying it specifically to anybody. I am saying it to anybody who would ask a nasty question like that.”
Trump’s comments were condemned by many Asian American lawmakers, celebrities and activists.
But on Tuesday, Trump seemed to extend the debate over his comments to Jiang when he tweeted that Asian Americans were angry with China for their handling of the coronavirus.
“Asian Americans are VERY angry at what China has done to our Country, and the World,” Trump wrote on Twitter. “Chinese Americans are the most angry of all. I don’t blame them!”
Several Asian Americans spoke out against Trump’s tweet. Rep. Grace Meng, D-N.Y said the President was using racist rhetoric to distract from his own handling of the virus, according to NBC News.
The Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus tweeted that Asian Americans are afraid that Trump’s statements about China are encouraging the xenophobia that gets Asian Americans hurt.
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