Marco Rubio sent out a seemingly well-intended tweet about the Atlanta-area spa shootings, and his message did not go over too well. The senator from Florida tweeted in response to the trio of deadly shootings that left eight people dead, including six Asian women. Many Asian-American stars are demanding action in what’s suspected of being a hate crime, which would be the latest in a wave of renewed attacks — numbering at least 3,800 in the past year — against Asian Americans amid the continuing COVID-19 pandemic.
All of this is going down almost a year to the day after ex-President Trump recklessly began referring to the disease as the “China Virus,” (and he even repeated the slur on Fox News on the same evening the shootings took place). Rubio supported his former primary rival throughout his presidency, and that’s not lending the best look alongside Rubio’s tweet: “The increase in violence against Asian-Americans is alarming, vile & un-American.”
The increase in violence against Asian-Americans is alarming, vile & un-American.
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) March 17, 2021
Rubio’s tweets also land awkwardly due to how he regularly tweets anti-China sentiment. Even his Twitter bio brags about being “Banned in & sanctioned by China.”
In any event, it seems that Rubio meant well with his tweet and wished to condemn the apparent hate crimes allegedly committed by Robert Aaron Long. Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms has also condemned the violence while stating, “[A] crime against any community is a crime against us all.” As for Rubio, though, his Twitter replies are full of people questioning why Rubio said nothing when Trump persisted in calling the disease “China Virus” and “Kung Flu.”
Yes! We should punish all government representatives who contributed to this horrible climate of violence and hate speech.
DO YOU KNOW ANYONE LIKE THAT, MARCO? DO YOU?
— Steve Hofstetter (@SteveHofstetter) March 17, 2021
you probably shouldnt have supported the president who called it "china virus" and his team called it "kung flu," huh?
— Oliver Willis (@owillis) March 17, 2021
Given you sat in silence as trump called it The China Virus, Kung Fu virus , asked an Asian press corp woman who she worked for and made a face …I’d say you are not one to weigh in
— Cathy (@CathyNotToday) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/DavePerrino/status/1372221920691716100
What are you going to do about it? A good place to start would be explicitly condemning Trump’s use of the racist phrase “China Virus”
— One Fresh Pillow (@OneFreshPillow) March 17, 2021
https://twitter.com/thepubprobably/status/1372221853100617729
You literally allowed Trump to bash on Asian Americans throughout this pandemic..
— Joaquin (@JoaquinAV8) March 17, 2021