House Speaker Nancy Pelosi spoke Monday at the Women Who Empower Summit in Northeastern University about President Donald Trump’s government and the upcoming election. She blasted the Trump administration for their handling of situations such as the coronavirus COVID-19 crisis, and warned that the country could not survive another term under his administration. 

“Just look at his policies and his lack of respect for the office which he holds and what that means for our country,” Pelosi remarked. “And I say to my Republican friends, and I do have them, take back your party. This is not who you are. (…) Our country is a great country,” she continued. “It can withstand one term of the current occupant of the White House. It cannot withstand two.”

Trump has faced criticism for his slow response regarding COVID-19 and has been accused of downplaying its severity. He inaccurately declared that a vaccine would be readily available soon and claimed that the virus death rate is a fraction of 1 percent, despite the World Health Organization (WHO) estimating it at 3.4 percent. 

Trump also recently tweeted that the coronavirus has so far caused less deaths compared to the common flu, and implied it is therefore not a threat that warrants action. 

“So last year 37,000 Americans died from the common Flu,” Trump tweeted, “It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year. Nothing is shut down, life & the economy go on. At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus, with 22 deaths. Think about that!” 

Currently, the coronavirus has infected over 100,000 people worldwide, and based on the WHO’s estimate, has a higher mortality rate than the seasonal flu.

During the summit, Pelosi told the crowd that the damage the Trump administration has done so far to the country can still be fixed, but only if Americans vote against Trump in the upcoming election to prevent him from remaining in power.

“No, I don’t think the damage is permanent.” Pelosi told the crowd. “I can’t possibly accept any thought that what he has done has permanently scarred our country. We must heal, we must repair. But that requires winning the election.”

Notably, Trump has consistently remarked that the media and Democratic Party are making the virus seem worse than it actually is. He claims that they are doing this in order to influence citizens into thinking his response is misinformed, and gain political advantage in the upcoming election. On Monday, Trump tweeted:

“The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant. Surgeon General, “The risk is low to the average American.”

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