Celebs React To Donald Trump's COVID-19 Diagnosis
As if 2020 wasn't already a crazy time due to the COVID-19 pandemic and some shocking celebrity deaths, the plot thickened with some surprising news from President Donald Trump. Trump took to Twitter in the late hours of Oct. 2, 2020 to announce that both he and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for COVID-19: "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19," he tweeted. "We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" The tweet, made shortly before 1 a.m. ET, became Trump's most-shared tweet ever, per Axios.
Following the announcement, social media users everywhere weighed in with mixed opinions. One of Trump's supporters wrote, "Sending love and prayers to President Trump and First Lady!" For Trump's detractors, the news sounded much like karma caught up with him. "Finally you tweet something positive," one of his critics tweeted.
The most interesting tweets, however, came from celebrities and public figures reacting to the news of 45's diagnosis. Some stars were genuinely startled by the news, while others spoke out about Trump's lack of action to contain the virus and his early comments downplaying the pandemic as a hoax. Keep reading to see how Hollywood is reacting to President Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis.
Celebrities are finding irony in President Trump's diagnosis
Upon the news that President Donald Trump has contracted the COVID-19 virus, many celebs are finding irony in the situation, per his previous remarks. Hollywood commenters recall Trump mocking Democratic nominee Joe Biden for wearing a mask during the first presidential debate of the 2020 election season. "I don't wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he's got a mask," Trump said during the debate. "He could be speaking 200 feet away and he shows up with the biggest mask I've ever seen."
Marvel's Luke Cage creator Cheo Hodari Coker retweeted a video clip of Trump mocking Biden from ABC News, adding the caption, "October Surprise like a muthaf****." Actress Kristen Johnston also shared the same tweet, remarking that Trump's comments "did not age well."
For most stars finding irony in the news, their tweets use his previous quotes to point out how fast Trump's table turned. Author Brian O'Sullivan weighed in on the news, referring to Trump's previous touting of the use of hydroxychloroquine to prevent COVID-19. O'Sullivan tweeted, "Remember when Trump said he had taken hydroxychloroquine and that would prevent him from getting the coronavirus? So do I."
Cardi B used clever wordplay to mock Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis
Compared to other stars, rapper Cardi B seemed more elated about Trump's Twitter announcement. Working the title of her BLACKPINK collaboration into her reaction, the rapper tweeted, "'BET YOU WANNA' wear a mask now." Cardi's wordplay-filled tweet made perfect timing, as her song with BLACKPINK titled "Bet You Wanna" released less than an hour before Trump broke the news of him and Melania's positive test results.
Of course, it's no secret that Cardi is by far one of Donald Trump's most outspoken critics. Two days prior to Trump's announcement, the Bronx-born rapper posted her reactions to the first 2020 presidential debate. The series of videos posted to her Instagram, included her fact-checking Trump's remarks. Cardi, who is not the one to shy away from political jargon, has made it clear that she is anti-Trump and encourages her fans to vote him out of office.
In August 2020, Cardi became a trending topic on Twitter after addressing comments comparing her to First Lady Melania Trump. Ex-political candidate DeAnna Lorraine took to Twitter to show her support for the First Lady, writing, "America needs far more women like Melania Trump and far less like Cardi B."
Already the topic of criticism due to her single with Megan Thee Stallion, "WAP" (an acronym for 'Wet A** P****'), Cardi responded to Lorraine's tweet: "Didn't she used to sell that Wap?" When Lorraine called Cardi a liar in response, Cardi tweeted a nude photo of the First Lady from a throwback 90s shoot. In September 2020, the "Bodak Yellow" rapper engaged in a heated exchange with conservative commentator Candace Owens via Twitter.
Celebrities are praying for Donald and Melania Trump's recovery
Although some social media users share the same sentiment as Cardi B, others are praying for a speedy recovery for Donald and Melania Trump. Charmed star Alyssa Milano, known for speaking out against Trump and his administration, showed sympathy for the president based on her own experience of contracting the COVID-19 virus earlier in 2020.
"As someone who has had #COVID19 and still suffers from post-covid syndrome, I can honestly say with all that I am that I wouldn't wish this virus on my worst enemy." Milano tweeted. "Please wear a mask."
Central Park and Frozen actor Josh Gad also wished the Trump family well in their process of recovery, regardless of his own personal feelings against Trump's attempts to contain the virus. "I do hope Trump and his wife recover," Gad began his tweet. "I also hold extreme resentment and anger to a man who sat idly by as all of us, including myself, lost friends and loved ones as he insisted 1) it was a hoax 2) it would magically disappear and 3) that people who wore masks were fools." Gad later retweeted a 2016 video of Trump mocking Hillary Clinton for catching pneumonia with the caption, "#fbf."
Former TV host Bill O'Reilly used his message of the day via his website to share his thoughts in response to the news of Trump's diagnosis. "If you feel glad that Donald and Melania Trump are ill, then you have a sickness, too. And while most recover from Covid, the disease of enjoying the suffering of others is rarely defeated. That disease is called evil." The message reads. "Promote empathy and justice. Feel the pain of your fellow human beings. Never celebrate it."