White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Monday defended President Donald Trump‘s use of the racist term ‘Kung flu’ to describe the coronavirus, arguing he was merely point to its origins in China.
The president has referred to COVID-19 as the ‘China virus’ and the ‘Wuhan virus,’ to describe the disease first detected in China’s Wuhan providence. But, at his campaign rally in Tulsa on Saturday, he added a new term to the mix: ‘kung flu.’
‘The president does not believe that it is offensive to note that this virus came from China,’ McEnany said when asked about his use of the term.
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany defended President Donald Trump’s use of the racist term ‘Kung flu’ to describe the coronavirus
President Donald Trump said at his rally in Tulsa on Saturday night of the coroanvirus: ‘It has more names than any disease in history. I can name kung flu. I can name 19 different versions of names’
McEnany was asked several times during her 20 minute briefing about Trump’s use of the term and whether he considers it a racist phrase.
‘The president doesn’t,’ she said. ‘What the president does do is point to the fact that the origin of the virus is China.’
She went on to say the president was pushing back against theories China has offered about the origins of COVID-19, including a conspiracy theory that American military members brought it when they were in the Wuhan area for the World Military Games in October 2019.
Scientists believe the virus made the jump from animals to humans at Wuhan’s wet markets, which sell a variety of exotic animal meat.
‘It’s a fair thing to point out as China tries to ridiculously rewrite history,’ McEnany said. ‘To ridiculously blame the coronavirus on American soldiers. This is what China is trying to do. President Trump is trying to say no, China, I will label this virus for its place of origin.’
The president, speaking in Tulsa, Oklahoma at his first rally in three months on Saturday night, said of the virus: ‘It has more names than any disease in history. I can name kung flu. I can name 19 different versions of names.’
Trump’s own adviser, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway, in March called the term ‘wrong and highly offensive’ when CBS reporter Weijia Jiang, who is Chinese American, said in March an administration official used the term when speaking to her.
Jiang was at Monday’s briefing and asked McEnany what message Trump’s use of the term sent to Asian Americans, who find ‘kung flu’ deeply offensive.
‘The president has said it is important that we protect our Asian community in the U.S. and around the world. They are amazing people and the spreading of the virus is not their fault in any way, shape or form. They are working closely with us to get rid of it and we will prevail together and it is very important. If not a discussions about Asian-Americans, who the president values and prizes as citizens of this great country. It’s an indictment of China for letting this virus get here,’ McEnany said.
She also ignored a question on whether Trump and Conway disagree on the term.
But she did attack the media, pointing out several news organizations have used the terms ‘Chinese coronavirus’ and ‘Wuhan coronavirus.’
‘I would also point out that the media blames President Trump for using the term China virus and Wuhan virus when they themselves are viewed these very terms,’ she said.
‘The media is trying to play games with the terminology of this virus where the focus should be on the fact that China left us out of our country,’ she added. ‘While the media wants to focus on nomenclature, the president is going to focus on action.’
Trump’s own adviser, Kellyanne Conway, in March called the term ‘kung flu’ virus ‘highly offensive’
CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang reported in March that a White House official referred to coronavirus as ‘kung flu’ to her face
President Trump was criticized for calling COVID-19 the ‘China virus’ after there was an increase in attacks on Asian Americans.
He told reporters earlier this year that he used the description because the virus originated in the Wuhan province of China.
‘It’s not racist at all. It comes from China, that’s why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate,’ he said.
The media has not used the term ‘kung flu’ and McEnany dismissed questions about the racist origins of the phrase, saying of Trump: ‘He is linking it to its place of origin.’
And she was clear President Trump does not regret using the term.
‘The president never regrets putting the onus back on China, pointing out that China is responsible for this and in the process standing up for U.S. troops who are being blamed by China and a campaign of misinformation,’ she said.