MSNBC's Joy Reid said President Joe Biden surviving his recently announced bout with COVID-19 will be as powerful as Donald Trump narrowly surviving his assassination attempt this past weekend.
During a Saturday rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, Trump narrowly survived an assassination attempt after a shooter opened fire. Although the former president survived the assassination attempt, Trump took a bullet to the ear. Two others in the crowd were injured, along with a third man who was shot and killed while protecting his wife and daughter.
The former president was photographed at the rally with blood on his face while pumping his fist in the air mouthing "fight" in what has now become an iconic image.
Trump made his first public appearance following the assassination attempt at Monday night's Republican National Convention (RNC) donning a white bandage over his right ear.
On Wednesday, President Biden tested positive for COVID-19 after experiencing mild symptoms. Biden has returned to Delaware to self-isolate and recover from his illness.
Reid made her comparison during MSNBC's Wednesday coverage of the RNC.
“These two men are both elderly. Donald Trump is an elderly man who for whatever reason was given nine seconds to take an iconic photo op during an active shooter situation," Reid said, calling Trump's photo "weird," though noted many saw the image as a powerful symbol. “But his survival of that, and bouncing right back and going right to his convention is being conveyed in the media world as a sign of strength." Reid whines that Trump surviving an assassination attempt is viewed "as a sign of strength." She suggests Biden recovering from COVID should be celebrated the same way: "If he does fine...and is able to do rallies, isn't that exactly the same?"
"It should," Jen Psaki says. pic.twitter.com/P6CS47Q2PX
— Nicholas Fondacaro (@NickFondacaro) July 17, 2024
“This current President of the United States is 81 years old and has COVID. Should he be fine in a couple of days, doesn’t that convey exactly the same thing?" Reid questioned. "That he’s strong enough — older than Trump — to have gotten something that used to really be fatal to people his age. So if he does fine out of it and comes back and he rallies, isn’t that exactly the same?”
Former White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki agreed Biden's recovery from Covid should be seen equally as a symbol of strength and resiliency.
Trump is scheduled to speak at tonight's RNC.
