Joe Biden campaigned, in part, on the fact that he wouldn’t break news on Twitter once he was elected president.
You won’t have to worry about my tweets when I’m president.
— Joe Biden (@JoeBiden) July 30, 2020
It’s a promise he reiterated last week, saying that he would not first disclose important news or decisions about legislation on the social media platform. Donald Trump, however, has made no such promises and has famously fired people and announced his own COVID-19 diagnosis on Twitter. He’s spent the weeks following the election spouting election misinformation on social media in a desperate and fruitless attempt to overturn results that clearly elected Biden president.
But on Sunday, he broke some very interesting news in a realm he’s largely ignoring: the rising coronavirus crisis in America. On Sunday, he tweeted that his personal lawyer, Rudy Giuliani, had contracted coronavirus, though he used a racial slang for it he’s often leaned on to deflect blame for the pandemic that’s killed more than 220,000 Americans.
.@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus. Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) December 6, 2020
“@RudyGiuliani, by far the greatest mayor in the history of NYC, and who has been working tirelessly exposing the most corrupt election (by far!) in the history of the USA, has tested positive for the China Virus,” Trump tweeted. “Get better soon Rudy, we will carry on!!!”
The news drew plenty of reaction online, as well as concern about his jet-setting legal battle to prop up baseless allegations of election fraud that’s drawn colorful and bizarre characters viral fame in recent days. Now the actual viral nature of Giuliani is an immediate concern, which makes all of this a lot less funny and far more dangerous.
It’s unclear what Giuliani’s status is right now, as there’s been plenty of speculation about him and his health as he appears in increasingly bizarre press conferences and public hearings while maskless. But hopefully he hasn’t turned what’s already been a needlessly prolonged and baseless legal fight into a multi-state superspreader event, too.