Celebs send Trump 'thoughts and prayers' after COVID-19 diagnosis. Well, not quite
"October surprise" has taken on a whole new meaning.
Early Friday morning, President Trump announced on Twitter that he and First Lady Melania Trump had tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
"We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately," he tweeted. "We will get through this TOGETHER!"
The first lady corroborated the news on Twitter shortly thereafter, tweeting that "as too many Americans have done this year," she and the president would be quarantining at home, in the White House.
Trump's physician, Sean P. Conley, also confirmed the news in a widely circulated letter. "The President and First Lady are both well at this time," Conley wrote.
Celebrities ranging from Cardi B to Jimmy Kimmel responded with a mixed bag of outrage, sarcasm and speculation.
Rapper Cardi B used the news to promote her new single, "Bet You Wanna," with K-pop group Blackpink.
“BET YOU WANNA” wear a mask now 😩😩😩 https://t.co/jp6NTiGztO
— iamcardib (@iamcardib) October 2, 2020
"When They See Us" filmmaker Ava DuVernay pointed out that the chaos of Thursday's events was compounded by a harvest moon.
By the light of tonight’s Harvest Moon, a new season begins. https://t.co/8jmkFmxiPL
— Ava DuVernay (@ava) October 2, 2020
"The King of Staten Island" director Judd Apatow responded with the pointed assertion that the president has long downplayed the serious threat of the COVID-19 virus.
The response was not “botched” by Donald. He made a choice to let tens of thousands of people die. He made a choice to not warn people. He made a choice to not encourage social distancing. Stop saying these were mistakes. They are political choices which murder people. He knew. https://t.co/mXuadTRQtB
— Judd Apatow (@JuddApatow) October 2, 2020
Late-night TV host Kimmel quipped about how he imagined Vice President Mike Pence reacting to the news, alluding to a parody food diary gone viral.
Does anyone know why @Mike_Pence is running around in circles, throwing little pieces of Wonder bread in the air?
— Jimmy Kimmel (@jimmykimmel) October 2, 2020
Here's a sample of what others are saying:
Thoughts and prayers. pic.twitter.com/4MgDZ0Guda
— Chelsea Handler (@chelseahandler) October 2, 2020
Inexcusable. Thoughtless. Lacking basic human decency. https://t.co/RoLswLR11S
— Kumail Nanjiani (@kumailn) October 2, 2020
Guiliani's gonna lose his mind when he finds out Trump has The Covi
— Patton Oswalt (@pattonoswalt) October 2, 2020
"I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask!" - Trump referring to Biden
2 days later: pic.twitter.com/lexSlqgvCN— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 2, 2020
Republicans announced they were replacing RBG 1 hour after it was announced she DIED. I wouldn’t worry so much about being “nice.”
— billy eichner (@billyeichner) October 2, 2020
If anything positive can come him testing positive, it would be his followers reevaluating their opinions. If they will now accept a lockdown, social distancing & mandatory mask-wearing, we could crush the virus like we should have from the start. #ButIAlsoBelieveInTheToothFairy https://t.co/uh0Y5FF4A7
— Mark Hamill (@HamillHimself) October 2, 2020
a democrat in office right now pic.twitter.com/bz1amwMJP4
— Eva Victor (@evavictor) October 2, 2020
Who wrote the season of America
— quinta brunson (@quintabrunson) October 2, 2020
Terry Crews https://t.co/A2TJ3yEaV5
— ashley ray (@theashleyray) October 2, 2020
Covid is hoax he said. Covid will be gone soon he said. White supremacy should stay by and then boom, covid they said.
— Chris Redd (@Reddsaidit) October 2, 2020
What is so interesting that the reason why @realDonaldTrump got #COVID19 is because a member of his staff named HOPE !
— Bassem Youssef (@Byoussef) October 2, 2020
— Issa Rae (@IssaRae) October 2, 2020
— Lena Waithe (@LenaWaithe) October 2, 2020
Trump contracting COVID changes nothing about his character. He's sick now. He was sick before. Vote him out.https://t.co/d6mnLbdMcC pic.twitter.com/OdhhQpq6SS
— Jeffrey Wright (@jfreewright) October 2, 2020
This virus is real. It is contagious. It is deadly. Wear a mask. Social distance. Wash your hands. Don’t be an idiot.
— Dan Rather (@DanRather) October 2, 2020
October ..surprise 😷🇺🇸🙏🏿💙
— ✌🏼rosanna arquette (@RoArquette) October 2, 2020
Praying for the health of the many people that the President and his staff carelessly and in some cases knowingly exposed to a deadly virus.
— Jon Favreau (@jonfavs) October 2, 2020
“Looks like RBG argued her first case before God, successfully."
— bettemidler (@BetteMidler) October 2, 2020
aren't we all, really https://t.co/4CT0VHON1c
— Yo, Semites (@maxjrosenthal) October 2, 2020
A post shared by Marc Lamont Hill (@marclamonthill) on Oct 2, 2020 at 9:22am PDT
A post shared by @ amyschumer on Oct 2, 2020 at 2:30am PDT
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
