Schumer: McConnell’s Claim Impeachment Trial ‘Diverted’ from Coronavirus Outbreak ‘Ridiculous’

While speaking to MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” on Thursday, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) reacted to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) blaming the impeachment trial for diverting everyone’s attention from the coronavirus as it spread from China.

Schumer called McConnell’s claim “ridiculous,” saying he called for a national emergency to be declared late January during the impeachment trial.

“Look, the president was way behind the eight ball in so much of this,” Schumer told MSNBC. “He didn’t see the need. We were way behind in testing. This idea that Mitch McConnell said that impeachment was diverting, ridiculous. I called for a national emergency on January 26th, you know, while impeachment was going on. We can do two things at once, and this virus was already raging in China.”

“So, the president on testing and now on distribution and production, behind the eight ball. But let’s hope he has seen now finally. You know, sometimes he thinks if he says something it becomes true, so he says it’s a hoax, he says it is not much, he thinks it is true,” he continued. “This virus is stronger than anybody, and we have to all be together and try to solve this problem. I will demand that of the president. I’m sending him a letter right now this morning on this.”

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