Donald Trump arrived at an Orlando, Florida, airport after spending the morning attacking Democrats and the media on Twitter for “inflaming” concerns about the novel coronavirus. What did he do upon exiting the plane? Trump, as seen in video that has since gone viral, shook supporters’ hands at a rope line.
Trump has compared coronavirus to the flu, raged that the media is trying to make him “look bad,” and spread misinformation on the virus, including saying that it’s a “hoax.” Trump also joked that he missed being able to touch his face, though people on social media were quick to find photo evidence showing that he has, indeed, been touching his face.
Why is Trump shaking hands with supporters? A few days ago, at a town hall in Scranton, Pennsylvania, he said, “You can't be a politician and not shake hands." But as world leaders and even Mike Pence have shown, you most certainly can.
And another angle:
Democrats, meanwhile, are calling for coronavirus responses that center working people. While she’s suspended her campaign for president, Sen. Elizabeth Warren’s coronavirus response plan contains a lot of solid ideas. In the meantime, here are a number of alternatives to shaking hands.
