Star Trek actor George Takei called on his followers to report President Donald Trump for “stoking racism.”
President Trump tweeted on March 16th, “The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than before!”
The United States will be powerfully supporting those industries, like Airlines and others, that are particularly affected by the Chinese Virus. We will be stronger than ever before!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 16, 2020
Takei then called on his followers to report the tweet.
He wrote, “Do me a favor and report this tweet. Trump is stoking racism. Jack Dorsey may not do anything, but people should let Twitter know it’s not acceptable.”
Do me a favor and report this tweet. Trump is stoking racism. @jack may not do anything, but people should let @Twitter know it’s not acceptable. https://t.co/ongaXpn4od
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 17, 2020
Less than an hour later, Takei would jokingly state that the World Health Organization had renamed Covid-19 to Covfefe-45.
He wrote, “BREAKING: Due to massive incompetence and inexplicable delay, WHO to rename Covid-19 to Covfefe-45.”
BREAKING: Due to massive incompetence and inexplicable delay, WHO to rename Covid-19 to Covfefe-45.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) March 17, 2020
Takei didn’t specifically indicate why he believes the tweet is racist, but it’s more than likely President Trump calling the virus the Chinese Virus given that is where it originated from.
This is not atypical for viruses and diseases. Lyme Disease was named after a “small coastal town in Connecticut called Lyme” according to the Delaware government. Zika Virus is named after it was first isolated in the Ziika Forest of Uganda. Ebola was also named after the Ebola River in the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly called Zaire, where an outbreak occurred.
Takei isn’t the only on to take offense to President Trump’s tweet. Reuters reports that China’s foreign ministry says the tweet “smears China.” They also report that “Beijing strongly opposes Trump’s usage of the words.”
This isn’t the first time George Takei has gone after President Trump. He called for Paramount and Star Trek to sue the United States government after they revealed their new Space Force logo back in January.
Takei also called Donald Trump’s fast food spread for Clemson University’s football team a “national trauma” back in January 2019.
The White House dinner for the Clemson Tigers summed up our national trauma perfectly: An isolated, self-proclaimed billionaire, ever stingy when paying the tab, forces real heroes to listen to him drone on senselessly, making this about him while their food goes cold and soggy.
— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) January 15, 2019
He also called Donald Trump’s border enforcement policy “intentional evil” back in August in an interview promoting the second season of The Terror: Infamy.
What do you make of Takei’s call for his followers to report President Trump for “stoking racism?”