Sanders says the first thing we need to do to curb coronavirus 'is shut this president up right now'

(Image credit: MANDEL NGAN / AFP)

published 16 March 2020

When asked what he would do to save American lives from the novel coronavirus, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders had an immediate answer for the CNN debate moderators on Sunday night: "The first thing we've got to do, whether or not I'm president, is shut this president up right now."

Sanders further alleged that "Trump is undermining the doctors and scientists who are trying to help the American people. It is unacceptable for him to be blabbering un-factual information, which is confusing the public."

The Trump administration has been widely slammed over its handling of the coronavirus outbreak, with the president downplaying the crisis. Trump's address in the Rose Garden on Friday was described as "the worst speech of his political career" by The Week's Matthew Walther, and The New York Times' fact-check found that he was misleading about everything from a website Google is setting up to help handle the outbreak to unfounded criticism against the Obama administration over their handling of swine flu in 2009.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.