Don Jr says Democrats are hoping coronavirus 'kills millions' so they can end his father's 'winning streak'
Donald Trump Jr. has accused Democrats of wanting "millions to die" of coronavirus so they can blame his father for it and, in turn, topple his administration.
The president's eldest son made the controversial comments during an appearance on Fox & Friends on Friday, Business Insider reports.
"For them to take a pandemic and seemingly hope that it comes here and kills millions of people so that they can end Donald Trump's streak of winning is a new level of sickness," Don Jr. said. "I don't know if this is coronavirus or Trump derangement syndrome, but these people are infected badly."
As expected, his comments faced major pushback from those within the Democratic Party.
Rep. John Garamendi (D-Calif.) went so far as to warn that Trump Jr.'s own health may not be at risk, and even talked of a "serious altercation."
"He should not be near me when he says that,” Garamendi told MSNBC's Hallie Jackson.
“Why not?” Jackson asked.
“There would be a serious altercation,” the congressman said in response.
“That is just totally outrageous," Jackson pushed back. "I can assure you that there’s not a Democrat or Republican in Congress that wants anybody to be sick."
“Don Jr. better not get close to me,” Garamendi added. “It would not be a healthy situation.”
Garamendi's comments drew criticism from Trump Jr.'s camp, with a spokesperson demanding an apology for the same.
"The outrageous remarks from Congressman Garamendi were beyond the pale and should be universally condemned by Republicans and Democrats alike," said Andy Surabian. "By threatening Don Jr. with physical violence on national TV, Congressman Garamendi made clear to everyone watching that he is better suited to represent Antifa than the people of California’s 3rd Congressional district. He should apologize immediately."
On Wednesday, the POTUS himself offered some tips to avoid getting sick. And in quintessential Trumpian fashion, he revealed a little more about his lifelong aversion to germs.
“I do it a lot, anyway, as you’ve probably heard: Wash your hands,” he told reporters gathered at the White House for a news conference on his administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak. “Stay clean. You don’t have to necessarily grab every handrail unless you have to. You know, you do certain things.”
Trump said the U.S. is "ready to adapt" and ready to do "whatever we have to" if the virus continues to spread.
“We're very, very ready for this, for anything,” even if it's “a breakout of larger proportions,” Trump said. "We're ready, willing and able."