House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) says President Donald Trump’s travel restrictions on China did little to slow the spread of the coronavirus.
“Actually, tens of thousands of people were still allowed in from China, so it wasn’t as it is described … as this great moment,” Pelosi said during an interview on CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
She noted that Americans were allowed to return from China after Trump placed restrictions on travel from China on January 31. The New York Times reported earlier in April that some 40,000 people arrived in the U.S. after Trump’s travel restrictions.
“So if you’re going to shut the door because you have an evaluation of an epidemic then shut the door,” she added.
Watch the video below:
Speaker Pelosi on Trump's China travel restriction: "Tens of thousands of people were still allowed in from China. It wasn't as it is described as this great moment. … If you're going to shut the door because you have an evaluation of an epidemic, then shut the door" #CNNSOTU pic.twitter.com/jpKFxYVCu6
— CNN Politics (@CNNPolitics) April 26, 2020
Trump has regularly touted his travel restrictions to argue that he took quick action aimed at slowing the spread of the virus.
“I do think we were very early, but I also think that we were very smart because we stopped China,” Trump said during a press conference earlier this month.
When asked if she supported the travel restrictions, Pelosi said, “Let’s go into the future.”
She continued to call for oversight of how coronavirus relief funds are distributed to Americans and noted that millions of Americans have reported delays in receiving funds.
