Ilhan Omar hits back at suggestion Biden should suspend campaign following Trump coronavirus diagnosis
Democratic Representative Ilhan Omar has pushed back at suggestions that candidate Joe Biden should suspend his campaign in the wake of Donald Trump’s coronavirus diagnosis.
The comment came after suggestions from some commentators that Mr Biden should stop campaigning while the president was in the hospital.
Rep Omar, a Minnesota representative and one of four members of the progressive "squad”, questioned why Mr Biden was affording Mr Trump the courtesy when she doubted he would extend the same pleasantry.
“Why would Biden delay or suspend his campaign when we know Trump would’ve had ads up by noon today ridiculing Biden for testing positive?,” she tweeted.
“Get it together."
Biden’s campaign was said to be removing all its negative ads immediately following the president’s diagnosis, although in some cases it may take days for ads already in circulation to stop running.
The Trump campaign told CNN it would not be making a similar move.
Mr Trump announced that he had been diagnosed with the virus on Friday on twitter before being transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Maryland as a “precautionary measure”.
The former vice president and his wife sent wishes to the president and his wife, Melania Trump on Friday who also tested positive for the virus.
“Jill and I send our thoughts to President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump for a swift recovery. We will continue to pray for the health and safety of the president and his family,” Mr Biden tweeted.
Why would Biden delay or suspend his campaign when we know Trump would’ve had ads up by noon today ridiculing Biden for testing positive?
Get it together.— Ilhan Omar (@IlhanMN) October 3, 2020
In a press release following news of the president’s infection, Rep Omar said she did not wish the virus on anyone, having lost her father to the disease herself.
She then criticised the president's leadership through the pandemic saying: “over 200,000 people have now died while this Administration actively ignores public health guidance and suppresses science.”
“The President of the United States and Republicans in Minnesota are actively spreading a deadly virus. They are a risk to the public health of my constituents and our country," she concluded.
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