Howard Stern says Donald Trump’s coronavirus response has been ‘treasonous’

More than 15 million people have tested positive for Covid-19 in the US

Howard Stern inducts Bon Jovi during the 33rd annual Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction ceremony on 14 April 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio (Kevin Kane/Getty Images For The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame)

Howard Stern has criticised Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis as being “treasonous”.

The radio host made the comments on Monday’s episode of his Sirius XM show.

He was reacting to a call from a listener who identified himself as a critical care physician in Cleveland, Ohio, and shared his “heartbreaking” experience treating patients with coronavirus.

“We are drowning,” the caller said. “We are drowning in work. I get on Facebook and it f****** kills me. You look at all these people who want to pretend that this s*** isn’t real. People want to pretend that they can just go about their normal lives. It’s hard to work every day knowing that we’re drowning.”

The exchange between Stern and the caller eventually addressed Trump’s consistent downplaying of the pandemic, even as Covid-19 has killed more than 280,000 people in the US.

“I don’t even hear a word about [the crisis] from him, except, ‘Just go ahead and live your life in a dangerous way,’” Stern said of Trump. “This is treasonous, what’s going on right now.”

His co-host Robin Quivers commented: “Well, it might not be treasonous, but it certainly is criminal.”

“It certainly is,” Stern replied.

Trump tested positive for Covid-19 in October. His attorney Rudy Giuliani is currently being treated for the illness too.

US cases have now surpassed 15 million.