Yale professor blames Trump administration ‘monsters’ for thousands of COVID-19 deaths: This is ‘awfully close to genocide’

A Yale University professor of epidemiology is blaming the Trump administration for the deaths of thousands in the United States amid the coronavirus pandemic, characterizing its "delayed" response "awfully close to genocide."

Dr. Gregg Gonsalves, who teaches about microbial diseases and law at the Ivy League school, took to Twitter recently to slam the administration for its supposed inaction, especially as it pertains to minorities.

"How many people will die this summer, before Election Day? What proportion of the deaths will be among African-Americans, Latinos, other people of color? This is getting awfully close to genocide by default. What else do you call mass death by public policy?" Gonsalves wrote on Wednesday.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention notes that minorities may be disproportionately affected by the disease due to greater numbers of black and hispanic people that work "essential jobs." According to the CDC, "Identified death rates among Black/African American persons (92.3 deaths per 100,000 population) and Hispanic/Latino persons (74.3) that were substantially higher than that of white (45.2) or Asian (34.5) persons."

In follow-up tweets, Gonsalves insisted that he is "being serious" about the matter, which he called "purposeful, considered negligence, omission, [and] failure to act by our leaders."

The professor also wondered if the administration's inactions could be punishable under international law.

He even went so far as to slam the president's daughter, Ivanka Trump, for posting on Twitter about praying for those who have lost their lives due to the coronavirus and for the front-line workers battling the spread.

"Pray for your own souls today," Gonsalves said about her, her husband, and her father. "You are monsters who care only about yourselves."

Gonsalves is not the first to blame Trump for the deaths of Americans amid the pandemic and wonder if the president could face punishment.

Early last month, a Democratic state representative from Ohio vowed to refer Trump to the Hague for crimes against humanity over his promotion of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine to treat COVID-19.

"I can't take it anymore. I've been to The Hague. I'm making a referral for crimes against humanity tomorrow," Rep. Tavia Galonski wrote on Twitter. "Today's press conference was the last straw. I know the need for a prosecution referral when I see one."

(H/T: The Washington Examiner)