Coronavirus: Democrats send letter to Trump demanding flags fly at half mast when US hits 100,000 deaths

Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi send solemn plea to president in advance of Memorial Day

Congressional Democrats have asked Donald Trump to instruct all public buildings to fly their flags at half mast on the day that the US reaches 100,000 coronavirus deaths.

In a joint letter, Nancy Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer call the president’s attention to the fact that this Monday is Memorial Day, when the US remembers those who gave their lives in service to their country.

“As we pay our respects to them, sadly, our country mourns the deaths of nearly 100,000 Americans from Covid-19,” write the two leaders. “Our hearts are broken over this great loss and our prayers are with their families.

“Respectful of them and the loss to our country, we are writing to request that you order flags to be flown at half staff on all public buildings on the sad day of reckoning when we reach 100,000 deaths.

It would serve as a national expression of grief so needed by everyone in our country.”

The official national death toll currently stands at more than 93,000, with more than 1,000 deaths being recorded each day.

Both Mr Pelosi and Mr Schumer have lately been sharply critical of their Republican colleagues, particularly in the Senate, for not moving forward with additional rescue legislation designed to help mitigate the impact of the pandemic on the US economy.

With the Senate soon to go on recess, no votes on coronavirus-related legislation have been scheduled, rattling even some electorally vulnerable Republican senators worried about the impact the virus is having in their states.

Ms Pelosi has lately been locked in a grisly back-and-forth with Mr Trump over his taking the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a protection against the coronavirus – ignoring that the drug has not been approved for such use, and disregarding the evidence that the drug may in fact make Covid-19 patients more likely to die.

Ms Pelosi responded to the news of the president’s drug regimen by saying he should be worried about side effects given his age and the fact he is “morbidly obese”, provoking the president to call her “a sick woman” with “a lot of mental problems”.

Ms Pelosi later remarked that she didn’t expect the president to be so sensitive about his weight.