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Former President Barack Obama took a jab at the Trump administration’s delay in responding to the coronavirus pandemic and urged Americans to vote in large numbers this November.
Obama’s clarion call was aimed both at President Donald Trump’s late response to the pandemic as well as his move yesterday to relax fuel-efficiency standards Obama put in place to reduce carbon emissions.
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“We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic,” Obama tweeted. “We can’t afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall.”
We’ve seen all too terribly the consequences of those who denied warnings of a pandemic. We can’t afford any more consequences of climate denial. All of us, especially young people, have to demand better of our government at every level and vote this fall. https://t.co/K8Ucu7iVDK
— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) March 31, 2020
In his tweet, Obama links to a Los Angeles Times article on the issue.
Trump continues to face criticism for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which continues to spread, resulting in more than 3,100 deaths in the United States as of Tuesday. When word first surfaced of the coronavirus in China, Trump downplayed concerns here in the United States. Recently, he initially suggested that he would relax social distancing guidelines by April 12, which is Easter, to help the U.S. economy but later walked back those comments and said he urges Americans to continue to practice social distancing until at least April 30.
Obama’s remark comes as Trump relaxed fuel-efficiency standards for new model cars and trucks which Obama created in 2012 to fight climate change, according to The USA Today.
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Obama wasn’t the only person dismayed to see Trump relax fuel-efficiency standards. Former Vice President Al Gore weighed in on social media and also linked the coronavirus pandemic to Trump’s latest move.
“The President is imposing a rule that will increase pollution by nearly a billion tons of CO2 & result in drivers paying more at the pump. Bad policy & reckless timing as Americans cope w/ a pandemic exacerbated by air pollution. He must be held to account” tweeted Gore.
The President is imposing a rule that will increase pollution by nearly a billion tons of CO2 & result in drivers paying more at the pump. Bad policy & reckless timing as Americans cope w/ a pandemic exacerbated by air pollution. He must be held to account.https://t.co/vVKBzv2Snm
— Al Gore (@algore) March 31, 2020