Florida Democratic Representative Jared Moskowitz listed off a series of former president Donald Trump’s lies about Covid-19 during a House subcommittee hearing on the origins of the pandemic.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic convened on Tuesday to discuss the origins, with Republicans largely focusing on the likelihood that a lab leak in the Wuhan province caused the virus to spread.
But Mr Moskowitz, a freshman Democratic representative on the subcommittee, used his time to cite the numerous times Mr Trump gave the Chinese President Xi Jinping the benefit of the doubt about the People’s Republic of China’s managment of the virus.
“I think the American people have a right to know why so much misinformation was spread about Covid-19 in this country by President Trump,” he said, before he rattled off a series of “greatest hits” from Mr Trump.
“China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi,” Mr Moskowitz said, citing Mr Trump’s words from January 2020.
He also cited Mr Trump’s words where he said he spoke to Xi and said the country was working on the problem.
“Just had a long conversation with the president of China, he’s strong, sharp, powerful, focuseed on leading the counterattack to the coronavirus,” Mr Moskowitz read of an old quote from Mr Trump.
Along with praising China’s response to coronavirus, Mr Moskowitz also read Mr Trump’s downplaying the severity of the virus.
“You know, in April, supposedly it’s going to die with the hotter weather, and that’s a beautiful date to look forward to,” which Mr Trump said on Fox Business in February 2020.
Mr Moskowitz also cited how Mr Trump said that the United States had “very few people” getting Covid-19 and “they’re getting better.”
“I could keep going,” Mr Moskowitz said. “This goes on and on, and every day it goes on, there were more and more cases in this country. And so we have to find out why this president was spreading misinformation.”
