Former President Donald Trump released a statement on Thursday asserting that China should pay $10 trillion to the United States and the world for its role in the COVID-19 pandemic in a statement Thursday.
“Now everyone, even the so-called ‘enemy,’ are beginning to say that President Trump was right about the China Virus coming from the Wuhan Lab,” Trump wrote in an emailed statement provided to American Military News. “The correspondence between Dr. Fauci and China speaks too loudly for anyone to ignore. China should pay Ten Trillion Dollars to America, and the World, for the death and destruction they have caused!”
Trump also took aim at public health official Dr. Anthony Fauci after emails obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests raised questions regarding China’s impact and the top medical advisor’s recommendations relating to the coronavirus.
Fauci’s emails released this week revealed a close relationship with George Gao, director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, who Fauci at one point told “we will get through this together,” the New York Post reported.
Fauci also dismissed an attempt by Erik Nilsen, CEO of Bio-Signal, to warn the public health official that he suspected China was covering up the number of COVID-19 deaths.
“Too long for me to read,” Fauci responded.
After reviewing the emails, Trump wrote in another statement that the United States is “fortunate” he didn’t always follow Dr. Fauci’s advice.
“For instance, I closed our Borders to China very early despite his not wanting them closed. The Democrats and the Fake News Media even called me a ‘xenophobe.’ In the end, we saw this was a life-saving decision, and likewise with closing our borders to Europe, specifically to certain heavily infected countries,” Trump wrote. “I was later given credit, even by ‘Tony,’ for saving hundreds of thousands of lives.”
According to his statement, Fauci also refrained from putting an emphasis on expedited vaccine production “because he thought it would take 3, 4, or maybe even 5 years to create.”
“I got it done in less than 9 months with Operation Warp Speed. In retrospect, the vaccine is saving the world,” Trump stated. “Then, I placed the greatest bet in history. We ordered billions of dollars’ worth of vaccines before we knew it even worked. Had that not been done, our wonderful vaccines would not have been administered until October of this year. No one would’ve had the shot that has now saved the world and millions of lives!”
Trump noted that Dr. Fauci changed his stance on masking several times throughout the global public-health ordeal. The top doctor has repeatedly claimed his recommendations on masks changed due to evolving science, but has yet to explain exactly what changed scientifically.
“Also, Dr. Fauci was totally against masks when even I thought they would at least be helpful,” Trump continued. “He then changed his mind completely and became a radical masker!”
Trump was likely referring to one email from early last year in which Fauci wrote, “Masks are really for infected people to prevent them from spreading infection to people who are not infected rather than protecting uninfected people from acquiring infection.”
“The typical mask you buy in the drug store is not really effective in keeping out virus, which is small enough to pass through material. It might, however, provide some slight benefit in keep out gross droplets if someone coughs or sneezes on you,” he continued, adding, “I do not recommend that you wear a mask, particularly since you are going to a very low risk location.”
Philip Holloway shared a screenshot of the email on Twitter.
Trump concluded his statement by asserting that Dr. Fauci has “a lot of questions” to answer regarding COVID-19.
“The funding of Wuhan by the U.S. was foolishly started by the Obama Administration in 2014 but ended under the Trump Administration,” Trump wrote. “When I heard about it, I said “no way.” What did Dr. Fauci know about “gain of function” research, and when did he know it?”
