Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot tore into President Donald Trump on Tuesday for his behavior since contracting COVID-19, telling him to start following health care guidelines, wear a mask and “don’t be stupid.”
A day after Trump returned to the White House from his weekend stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center and told Americans “don’t be afraid” of the virus, Lightfoot initially said she was going to “be careful in choosing my words” to react to his message and decisions in the days since he and others at the White House have tested positive for the virus.
“I do think it’s unfortunate, both in the way the president has behaved himself personally,” Lightfoot said. “I find it very unfortunate. We heard news today that the basic, I think, absolute obligation, given the superspreader event sponsored by the president, that the White House is refusing to provide information to do basic case investigation and contact tracing.”
But Lightfoot, who has repeatedly used blunt language in criticizing Trump, soon got more direct, saying he continuously “undermines even more the credibility of the president and White House leadership on the issue that affects all of us.”
“It’s depressing, it is disparaging of the hard work of so many who have sacrificed, and continue to every single day, to try to keep themselves safe, their families safe, not to mention the sacrifices of the health care workers and the first responders who’ve been on the front lines of this horrible disease and pandemic,” she said at an unrelated news conference.
As to what Trump and his administration could have done better to protect themselves and their communities, Lightfoot said they should follow the rules doctors say are important to slow the spread of the disease.
“Follow the public health guidance. Follow the guidance of the (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Follow the guidance of the (Chicago Department of Public Health),” the mayor said. “Any of the above. Wear a mask. Social distance. I’ll let (Chicago Health Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady) give the medical explanation, but, like, don’t be stupid, that’s what they could have done.”
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