Trump’s “China plague” rhetoric comes days after news broke that the administration is set to cancel visas for thousands of Chinese students who have ties to China’s army. The New York Times reported that further restrictions could potentially be handed down.
The president’s language has drawn backlash in the past from many in the Asian American community, who witnessed an uptick in hate crimes during the pandemic, and warned that further use could spur more anti-Asian bias across the country. Trump told Fox News in a March interview that he was moving away from the terminology, but didn’t regret using it in the past.
The timing of the increased use of “China plague” coincides with the launch of “Asian Americans for Trump” last week, a bid to appeal to the Asian American electorate, which Trump failed to capture in the last election cycle. According to a 2016 exit poll, the vast majority of Asian Americans (79 percent) voted for Hilary Clinton.
Twitter Thoughts:
"I call it the plague from China" – Trump once again proves how fucking xenophobic he is, in case anyone actually forgot #Trump #TrumpRoundtable #Xenophobia #Coronavirus #TrumpPressConf
— Debi ⭕️ (@realhumanpotato) June 11, 2020
You discussed racism and unity together yet laughed and applauded every time they said “the plague from China”.
I am sure the chinese-american members of your church, and this country feel unified. #practicewhatyoupreach
— Zack (@ZackMSU) June 12, 2020
True. Correct term is “Bat Death Plague from China.”
— Wesley Mullins (@wesleyamullins) March 24, 2020
Ok, the “Plague from China” it is then.
— Wesley Mullins (@wesleyamullins) March 17, 2020
