Meghan McCain apologized for defending Trump's use of 'China virus' after John Oliver called her out
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- Meghan McCain apologized for defending the use of "China virus" by Trump and others.
- McCain said Trump's "racist rhetoric" helped fuel anti-Asian hate.
- "I apologize for any past comments that aided that agenda," McCain added.
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Meghan McCain, cohost of ABC's "The View," on Monday apologized for her prior defense of President Donald Trump and others using racist, anti-Asian names for COVID-19.
"I condemn the reprehensible violence and vitriol that has been targeted towards the Asian-American community. There is no doubt Donald Trump's racist rhetoric fueled many of these attacks and I apologize for any past comments that aided that agenda," McCain tweeted.
Trump insisted on calling COVID-19 the "China virus," "Chinese virus," and "kung flu," which research has shown helped fuel anti-Asian sentiments.
Over the past year, there's been a wave of anti-Asian hate crimes and discrimination in the US. The issue has been pushed to the forefront of the nation's attention following a spree of shootings at several Atlanta-area massage parlors that killed eight people, including six Asian women, on March 16.
Addressing this on the latest episode of his show, "Last Week Tonight," John Oliver called out McCain for defending Trump's racist rhetoric toward people of Asian descent. Oliver pointed out that McCain after the Atlanta shootings posted a tweet that said "Stop Asian Hate," but then showed a clip of "The View" cohost in March 2020 defending Trump's use of "China virus."
-The View (@TheView) March 18, 2020
"I think if the left wants to focus on PC labeling this virus, it is a great way to get Trump re-elected," McCain said at the time. "I don't have a problem with people calling it whatever they want. It's a deadly virus that did originate in Wuhan."
"I don't have a problem with it, and I think China, had they acted right away, and we had more access to information, maybe it wouldn't have gotten to the place that it is," McCain went on to say in the full clip.
Oliver ripped into McCain for defending Trump even as she called out anti-Asian discrimination a year later.
"Oh good! Meghan McCain doesn't have a problem with it," Oliver said. "Listen not to the scores of Asian Americans telling everyone that the term is dangerous and offensive. Instead, gather around and take the word of a wealthy white woman who's dressed like she's about to lay off 47 people over Zoom."
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