Liberal commenters objected to a Republican congressman’s joke remarking on President Donald Trump’s hardiness in the face of his coronavirus diagnosis.
The joke: Riffing off of the popular Chuck Norris facts meme, Rep. Matt Gaetz, a Florida Republican and staunch ally of the president, tweeted on Monday that instead of Trump having to recover from COVID, “COVID will have to recover from President Trump.”
Chuck Norris facts: According to the meme encyclopedia website Know Your Meme, “Chuck Norris Facts” are a “series of satirical factoids and hyperbolic claims that characterize the American celebrity, martial artist, and actor, Chuck Norris, as an extremely tough, virile and alpha-male archetype.”
The reaction: Liberals on social media poured cold water on Gaetz’s attempt at levity after “Chuck Norris” began trending on Twitter because of the Florida congressmans tweet.
Tommy Vietor, co-host of the Pod Save America podcast and a former United States National Security Council spokesman for President Barack Obama, accused Gaetz of “plagiarizing and repurposing lame Chuck Norris jokes.”
Vietor also tweeted an insult at Gaetz, calling him a “f**king dork.”
Some outraged liberals forcefully tweeted their belief that coronavirus is no laughing matter.
Iva Rogers, a Kentucky-based Trump critic, said getting COVID-19 shouldn’t be a “badge of honor.”
Freelance writer Patrick Kiger also finger-wagged at Gaetz.
Trump received his first positive coronavirus test result on Thursday, according to the White House.
- Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a lead physician at Johns Hopkins Hospital who is assisting with Trump’s treatment, said Sunday that the president “feels well” and may be discharged as early as Monday.
