Michigan lieutenant governor blasts Trump coronavirus response: He ‘is a liar who has killed people’

Michigan’s lieutenant governor blasted President Trump on Sunday over his handling of the coronavirus pandemic, blaming him for tens of thousands of lives lost across the country due to the pandemic.

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist II (D) made the comments during a virtual event for progressive voters called “Fighting for Justice in Michigan,” according to local news affiliate WDIV 4.

“Donald Trump is a liar who has killed people, straight up,” said Gilchrist, who added that he knew nearly two dozen people who had died amid the pandemic.

“We cannot afford another four years of this man at the helm,” the lieutenant governor added. “There are literally millions of lives at stake.”

Trump’s handling of the pandemic has fallen under increased scrutiny in recent days due to recordings released by journalist Bob Woodward in which the president made statements about the danger posed by the coronavirus pandemic which far exceeded the warnings and in some cases directly contradicted statements he made publicly at the same time.

Trump has dismissed Woodward’s book with criticism similar to that he has leveled at other books written by White House insiders, accusing the veteran Watergate journalist of writing “hit jobs” about public figures.

“He called. I didn’t participate in his last one, and he does hit jobs with everybody,” Trump told Fox News last week. “He even did it on Obama. … So I figured, you know, let’s just give it a little shot. I’ll speak to him. Wasn’t a big deal.”

“I don’t know if the book is good or bad. I have no idea,” Trump added, speaking to Sean Hannity. “Probably — almost definitely won’t read it because I don’t have time to read it. But I gave it a little bit of a shot. Sounds like it’s not going to be good.”