# White House Spokesman Blames China **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [March 26, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360 "2020-03-26T20:54:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 10\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MikeF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@MikeF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeF)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/1 "2020-03-26T20:54:23Z")
Peter Navarro tried to blame China for putting the U.S. behind in the Covid response saying it wan’t until early-mid-December that they admitted to a problem. What he failed to mention that Trump was saying in LATE FEBRUARY/EARLY MARCH that this was a hoax and that “It will go away. Just stay calm, it will go away”. Understandable oversight on his part, I guess. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/2 "2020-03-26T22:50:05Z")
It’s just a monkey see monkey do thing with his boss. Like when everyone steps up to the mic and thanks the great leader for his leadership. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/3 "2020-03-26T22:58:05Z")
[The administration has also implemented a coordinated messaging campaign which includes talking points sent out by the National Security Council pushing US officials to highlight China’s alleged “coverup” and subsequent disinformation campaign, CNN has learned.](https://www.cnn.com/2020/03/24/politics/us-china-coronavirus-disinformation-campaign/index.html) [Trump Is Inciting a Coronavirus Culture War to Save Himself](https://www.theatlantic.com/ideas/archive/2020/03/trump-is-the-chinese-governments-most-useful-idiot/608638/) ---
**Author:** ![rsat3acr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/a3d4f5/32.png) [@rsat3acr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsat3acr)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/4 "2020-03-26T23:01:06Z")
I believe Trump said on Mar 10 that it would go away. Just two and a half weeks ago. Talk about willful ignorance. ---
**Author:** ![Velocity](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/velocity/32/18006_2.png) [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/5 "2020-03-26T23:10:59Z")
Yes, Trump’s words were horrifically irresponsible. But the Chinese government did squash whistleblowers like Li Wenliang and others and hence allowed the pandemic to spiral out of control in the first place. [Had China acted sooner, 95% of coronavirus cases could have been prevented.](https://www.axios.com/timeline-the-early-days-of-chinas-coronavirus-outbreak-and-cover-up-ee65211a-afb6-4641-97b8-353718a5faab.html) Trump’s irresponsibility doesn’t let China off the hook. ---
**Author:** ![Snowboarder\_Bo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowboarder_bo/32/229_2.png) [@Snowboarder\_Bo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snowboarder_Bo)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/6 "2020-03-26T23:14:36Z")
> [@Velocity](#): > > Yes, Trump’s words were horrifically irresponsible. But the Chinese government did squash whistleblowers like Li Wenliang and others and hence allowed the pandemic to spiral out of control in the first place. [Had China acted sooner, 95% of coronavirus cases could have been prevented.](https://www.axios.com/timeline-the-early-days-of-chinas-coronavirus-outbreak-and-cover-up-ee65211a-afb6-4641-97b8-353718a5faab.html) > > Trump’s irresponsibility doesn’t let China off the hook. How big is the hook China is on, tho? Do you think that on 10 December, the first date given at your cite, anyone knew this was a new, highly contagious coronavirus? Why do you think that? ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/7 "2020-03-26T23:28:31Z")
I mean, its not surprising. step 1: Pretend its not happening and blame the democrats step 2: When it does happen, play on the bigotry of your base (it was the yellow chinaman who did it) I’m guessing future steps will be things like: It would’ve been much worse had I not been in charge I did such a great job of leading, that I saved the nation The democrats and the courts tried to sabotage my leadership Foreign governments praised me and asked me to advise them Shit like that. Having said that China does deserve some blame. They keep their wet markets open despite multiple serious infections evolving there. They also suppressed whistleblowers and suppressed the disease when it first came out. But Trumps admin is playing into the racism card. ---
**Author:** ![bobot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bobot/32/21622_2.png) [@bobot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bobot)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2020, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/8 "2020-03-26T23:58:30Z")
And when this finally passes/is under some measure of control thanks to Governors of states who took effective action, and people who respected science and health professionals, I hope no one is astounded at the reaction by Trump supporters who hail the mighty king’s victorious victory of ass whooping over the china virus. Just don’t be suprised. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/9 "2020-03-27T00:01:51Z")
Moved to Politics & Elections. Colibri General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![sweepkick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/87869e/32.png) [@sweepkick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sweepkick)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2020, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/white-house-spokesman-blames-china/850360/10 "2020-03-27T03:30:35Z")
If that was the same interview I saw, he also blamed Obama.