Yahoo Finance Nick Cordero's Wife Amanda Kloots Responded to Trump's "Disgraceful" Coronavirus Tweet
D Dipasupil/FilmMagic, Getty Images
According to a study from Cornell University, the president has been the "single largest driver" behind coronavirus (COVID-19) misinformation—and he's continued to spread misleading narratives online. Amanda Kloots—whose husband, Broadway star Nick Cordero, died from COVID-19 complications in July—is calling out Trump for a recent tweet in which he drastically downplayed the severity of the virus.
Two days after testing positive for coronavirus last week, Trump tweeted out that he was leaving the hospital and wrote, "Feeling really good! Don't be afraid of Covid. Don't let it dominate your life."
Kloots responded to the tweet on her Instagram Stories reframing the minimizing language in the context of her late husband's battle with coronavirus. "'Don't be afraid of COVID'...Wow. He should have been my husband for 95 days because I'm still afraid of COVID," she wrote. "'Don't let it dominate your life'...Wow. 'Let it' ??? So Nick 'let it' dominate his life??"
Kloots went on to call the tweet "beyond hurtful" and shared a message of solidarity with all those who had lost loved ones to coronavirus.
"I stand with the 208,000 Americans that lost someone. I guess according to Trump we 'let it' dominate our lives, our hearts."
@amandakloots, Instagram
Kloots continued in another slide, urging the president to "Have some class, decency, maybe even an inch of empathy Mr. President." She continued, "Not everyone was lucky to only spend 2 days in the hospital."
@amandakloots, Instagram
Kloots also shared videos on her Stories, expressing how the president could have used his experience with coronavirus to better understand what others were going through, rather than to brag about his health. "Side with your people," she said.
She reiterated her sentiments on an in-feed Instagram post, emphasizing that the fear surrounding coronavirus is valid and natural.
"I cried next to my husband for 95 days watching what COVID did to the person I love. It IS something to be afraid of," she wrote. "After you see the person you love the most die from this disease you would never say what this tweet says."
"There is no empathy to all the lives lost. He is bragging instead. It is sad. It is hurtful. It is disgraceful," she continued.
A post shared by AK! ⭐️ (@amandakloots) on Oct 5, 2020 at 9:07pm PDT
Various celebrities also responded to Trump's tweets, sharing their own messages of frustration at his harmful words.
Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi tweeted, "This is the equivalent of spitting on the graves of the 207,000 Americans who passed away from COVID, whose families had to say goodbye to them over speakerphone & weren't even able to have comfort during their time of grief."
This is the equivalent of spitting on the graves of the 207,000 Americans who passed away from COVID, whose families had to say goodbye to them over speakerphone & weren't even able to have comfort during their time of grief. pic.twitter.com/1eyAC60F0p
— Padma Lakshmi (@PadmaLakshmi) October 5, 2020
Actor Chris Evans called out the privilege Trump had to face coronavirus without fear. "You’ve been under round-the-clock care by the best doctors using the best drugs," he wrote. "Do you really think everyone has access to that?! Sadly, I’m sure you’re aware of that disparity, you just don’t care."
Evans also called Trump's tweet "reckless to a shocking degree," even for him.
Don’t be afraid of Covid?!
You’ve been under round-the-clock care by the best doctors using the best drugs. Do you really think everyone has access to that?!
Sadly, I’m sure you’re aware of that disparity, you just don’t care
This is reckless to a shocking degree, even for you https://t.co/H8CGlD9DcZ— Chris Evans (@ChrisEvans) October 5, 2020
Mandy Moore also called out the president's insensitive tweet. "Don’t be afraid of covid? Tell that to the 210,000 families who have lost loved ones. To the Black, Brown and Indigenous folks disproportionately affected," she responded via Twitter. "With tens of millions of jobs lost and the economy tanked. Many of us isolated for months. You’re the cruelest."
Don’t be afraid of covid? Tell that to the 210,000 families who have lost loved ones. To the Black, Brown and Indigenous folks disproportionately affected. With tens of millions of jobs lost and the economy tanked. Many of us isolated for months. You’re the cruelest. #votehimout https://t.co/QhM47Pa3lx
— Mandy Moore (@TheMandyMoore) October 5, 2020
Moore's tweet ended with a direct call to action, "#votehimout." Check out our guide here for everything you need to know about voting in the November election.
