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Michelle Obama at her video message for the Democratic Party Conference in August
Photo: POOL / REUTERS
"At the moment there is chaos in our country because of a president who is not up to his job": Former First Lady Michelle Obama attacked US President Donald Trump just under a month before the election.
All Americans are feeling the ramifications of the fact that the president did not take the pandemic seriously and still has no conclusive plan to combat it, Obama said in a video message released Tuesday.
Other countries would have got the pandemic under control.
"They were hit by the same virus as we were. They had the same resources as us. But what they did not have to deal with was this president," said the wife of Trump's predecessor Barack Obama.
She therefore called for the election of Democrat Joe Biden.
Barack Obama's former vice president will run against Republican Trump in the November 3rd election.
Michelle Obama accused Trump of lying to Americans and further downplaying the threat of the pandemic.
"We can't trust this president to tell us the truth about anything," Obama said.
She also accused Trump of “deliberate mismanagement” of the pandemic.
In the meantime, more than 200,000 people have died after a corona infection than in the wars in Iraq, Afghanistan, Vietnam and Korea combined.
"Take all of these heroically sacrificed lives and double the number. That's about the extent of this tragedy," Obama said.
Trump, who is himself infected with the corona virus, again compared Covid-19 with the flu after his hospital stay.
"The flu season is just around the corner! Every year many people die of the flu, sometimes more than 100,000, and despite the vaccination. Are we shutting down our country? No, we have learned to live with it just as we learn to live with Living Covid, which is far less fatal in many populations !!! "wrote Trump on Twitter (why the comparison of Covid-19 with the flu is not appropriate, read here).
Trump's corona infection became known on Friday.
On Monday he called on Americans not to be afraid of the virus.
In the United States, more than 210,000 people have died from infection since the pandemic began, more in absolute terms than any other country in the world.
According to the CDC, the United States has had between 12,000 and 61,000 deaths each year from flu since 2010.
The short message service hid the flu comparison several hours later behind a notice in which it was read that the tweet spread "misleading and potentially dangerous information" about Covid-19.
Since there may be a public interest in it, it remains accessible.
The tweet can only be distributed with a comment.
The message could no longer be found on Facebook.
Especially at the beginning of the pandemic, Trump had repeatedly compared Covid-19 diseases with flu.
In September it became known that Trump was aware of the serious risks of the virus: In an interview with investigative journalist Bob Woodward, he said in February that Covid-19 was "more deadly" than a serious flu.
Trump allegedly shows "no more symptoms"
Trump's personal physician Sean Conley announced Tuesday that the president had rested the first night after returning to the White House and showed "no symptoms".
The values of the 74-year-old are stable, his oxygen saturation is between 95 and 97 percent.
Overall, Trump is doing "extremely well".
At the weekend Conley admitted that Trump had a "high fever" on Friday morning and that his blood oxygen saturation had meanwhile fallen to "below 94 percent".
Because of his corona infection, Trump has been given a number of drugs, including an antibody drug that is still experimental.
According to the renowned immunologist Anthony Fauci, this could have contributed significantly to a rapid improvement in Trump's health.
After Trump's return, precautionary measures are to be taken to protect employees in the White House.
Because of the illness of the president and his wife, more precautionary measures than usual, said the communications director of the presidential office, Alyssa Farah, the broadcaster Fox News.
She did not give any details.
Looking ahead to the election campaign, Farah said she expected Trump to have a "new mentality" on the coronavirus.
He has already lost friends to the virus and mourned with the Americans.
"But now he comes as a survivor himself. And I think you will hear that in this debate."
Trump is determined to take part in the second TV debate with his challenger Joe Biden on Thursday next week (local time).
His team also strengthened the protective measures.
The 77-year-old can now be tested several times a week after having previously only done this once a week.
Biden no longer takes off his mask when he's alone in front of a lectern.
On Monday, a Biden employee disinfected a podium in Miami before a Democrat performance.
Many election campaign events take place in almost empty rooms - partly due to state regulations.
Icon: The mirror
mes / dpa / Reuters
