'Most Hurtful President': As Coronavirus Deaths Skyrocket, Trump Brags of Bachelor -Like TV Ratings
Many on social media are deeming President Donald Trump‘s tweet about his spike in television ratings as “hurtful” as the United States battles the coronavirus pandemic.
Speaking about his daily coronavirus briefings, Trump quoted a New York Times article about recent viewership statistics that compared his ratings to the popularity of The Bachelor and Monday Night Football.
“‘President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of The Bachelor,’ ” Trump tweeted on Sunday.
As of March 29, there are at least 125,093 confirmed cases of coronavirus and at least 2,149 deaths, according to the New York Times database.
Several people were quick to criticize the president for discussing his ratings during a global health crisis.
“He’s tweeting about his ratings in the middle of a pandemic,” actress Alyssa Milano wrote on Twitter. “This is the most hurtful President of our time.”
Elan Gale, a producer on The Bachelor, asserted that even if this were part of a Saturday Night Live sketch, heads would turn.
“Seriously if Alec Baldwin recited this word for word on Saturday Night Live, there would be lots of people saying he jumped the shark,” Gale tweeted.
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Meanwhile, CNN anchor Jake Tapper said: “Dr. Fauci told me today that the coronavirus could kill anywhere from 100,000 to 200,000 Americans, and infect millions more. Americans. The president is tweeting about TV ratings for press conferences.”
As the coronavirus outbreak continues to sweep across the nation, Trump, 73, announced Sunday during his daily press briefing that social distancing guidelines will remain in place until April 30.
“The better you do, the faster this whole nightmare will end,” the president said. “On Tuesday we will be finalizing these plans and providing a summary of our findings, supporting data and strategy to the American people.”
As information about the coronavirus pandemic rapidly changes, PEOPLE is committed to providing the most recent data in our coverage. Some of the information in this story may have changed after publication. For the latest on COVID-19, readers are encouraged to use online resources from CDC, WHO, and local public health departments and visit our coronavirus hub.