House Speaker Nancy Pelosi ripped President Donald Trump on Thursday over his criticism of China’s coronavirus response, calling it a “diversion.”
“Let me just say that what the President is saying about China is interesting. It’s an interesting diversion,” Pelosi said. “Right now our focus should be on meeting the needs of the American people.”
The speaker said the country should be “putting aside” how the coronavirus pandemic began and instead focus on the recovery effort. House Democrats are scheduled to vote Friday on a $3 trillion stimulus package, but the legislation is expected to be dead on arrival in the Republican-controlled Senate. (RELATED: FLASHBACK Feb.24: Pelosi Stands In San Francisco’s Chinatown And Urges People To Come Out)
WATCH:
“I’ve even said putting aside how we got here in our own country, because we should be using our energy on how we go forward than making judgments about what his administration did or didn’t do. We’re talking about going forward,” Pelosi said. “There’ll be plenty of time for after-action review. And apart from what we do, there will be scientists and others who will be tracing, rightfully — not even rightfully so, it’s urgent and needed for them to trace the origins of such a pandemic scientifically, but not politically.”
Pelosi and other Democrats have harshly criticized the Trump administration’s coronavirus response, and the speaker announced in early April that she was putting together a committee to monitor the administration’s handling of the recovery effort. Pelosi argued that the purpose of the committee was to perform oversight to “prevent waste, fraud and abuse.” Some Republicans have accused Pelosi of using the committee as a front to start another investigation into the president. (RELATED: FLASHBACK: Jan.21: Fauci Says Coronavirus ‘Not A Major Threat’ To U.S.)
“Speaker Pelosi’s coronavirus committee is just Impeachment 2.0,” House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy said after the committee was created.