Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton tore into President Trump over his response to the novel coronavirus, which has shuttered businesses and travel throughout the United States.

In a Wednesday morning tweet, Clinton accused the president of using "racist rhetoric" as a distraction from his failure to "adequately prepare" the country in the weeks leading up to the pandemic.

"The president is turning to racist rhetoric to distract from his failures to take the coronavirus seriously early on, make tests widely available, and adequately prepare the country for a period of crisis," she wrote. "Don't fall for it. Don't let your friends and family fall for it."

The president is turning to racist rhetoric to distract from his failures to take the coronavirus seriously early on, make tests widely available, and adequately prepare the country for a period of crisis.



Don't fall for it. Don't let your friends and family fall for it. — Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) March 18, 2020

Trump has been accused of stoking racism by calling the epidemic the "Chinese" or "Wuhan" coronavirus, denoting the likely origin of the disease that spread out of China in late December. Congressmen and advisers to the president have repeatedly tied the virus to China, some even claiming the Chinese Communist Party "covered up" the outbreak to mitigate blame and potential economic losses.

Trump spent much of February downplaying concerns about the virus as it ripped through China, Iran, and Italy, leaving thousands dead in its wake. On Feb. 28, he told a crowd that criticism from Democrats over his response was the "new hoax" after impeachment failed in the Senate.

On Tuesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell called for "urgent" measures to provide an economic stimulus as businesses close, and many U.S. citizens worry about the prospect of unemployment. Later in the day, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said the unemployment level could skyrocket to as much as 20% if the virus is not contained.

Clinton lost to then-candidate Trump in the 2016 presidential election, which was fraught with bitterness and climaxed with Trump saying he would put her in jail if he was elected.