‘A moron of bovine proportions’: Twitter slams Trump for his ‘herd mentality’

09/17/2020 9:11 am ET • Mackenzie Zlatos

President Trump standing behind a podium

Flickr / The White House

In a broadcasted townhall hosted by ABC, Trump said that his strategy for COVID-19 was to allow people to develop a “herd mentality” without a vaccine. Putting aside the fact that he means immunity, the truth is, he seems to be okay with more people dying.

When ABC anchor George Stephanopoulos asked Trump if the pandemic would go away without the vaccine, the president responded in the affirmative. He then added, “And you’ll develop, you’ll develop herd — like a herd mentality. It’s going to be — it’s going to be herd developed, and that’s going to happen. That will all happen.”

Do you even know what it is?

Trump with a confused expression on his face

Screenshot / YouTube

MSNBC host Rachel Maddow made a facial expression that captured how the American public felt about “herd mentality” being touted as a cure for COVID-19. “That’s what you’re pursuing for us as a country, and you don’t even know what it is?” she asked.

Herd mentality??
You mean herd immunity?
That's what you're pursuing for us as a country, and you don't even know what it is?
And you think it might be the same thing as herd mentality? pic.twitter.com/9anh7OUZnq

— Maddow Blog (@MaddowBlog) September 16, 2020

What is “herd mentality”? Just asking.

— Valerie Jarrett (@ValerieJarrett) September 16, 2020

It’s immunity

Flickr/ Gage Skidmore

Oxford defines “herd mentality” as “The tendency for people’s behavior or beliefs to conform to those of the group to which they belong.”

Trump meant “herd immunity,” which would be disastrous for the American people. According to Dr. Fauci, the “death toll would be enormous,” if “herd immunity” was adopted.

Donald Trump battles the English language in an attempt to let voters know he now supports herd immunity (3 million US deaths) as the solution to COVID:

“You’re going to develop, you’re going to develop herd mentality; it’s going to be, going to be herd developed.” https://t.co/vJVp0kcyFF

— Joe Scarborough (@JoeNBC) September 16, 2020

It's hard to have much faith in our President's ability to fight COVID when he calls his alleged strategy "herd mentality", not herd immunity. Shocking incompetence.

— Michael McFaul (@McFaul) September 16, 2020

He’s advocating for more dead Americans

Screenshot / CBS

Three million more Americans would have to die in order for herd immunity to be achieved.

To achieve a herd immunity of 60%, around 200 million Americans need to catch the coronavirus and 3 million Americans need to die. Herd mentality is believing this all needs to happen because it is too hard to wear a mask, stay 6 feet away from others, and listen to scientists.

— Eugene Gu, MD (@eugenegu) September 16, 2020

Herd immunity is 2 million dead Americans. I have no idea what the fuck herd mentality is but it sounds like it starts with a red hat and a moron.

— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) September 16, 2020

Is he unfit yet?

Flickr / Scott Spiegel

When will enough be enough for Team Trump?

So when do conservatives declare Trump unfit because he said "herd mentality" instead of herd immunity? Or because he talked about COVID with a woman who said her mother died of cancer? That's how it works, right? Because that's what they've said about Joe Biden over far less.

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) September 16, 2020

At the town hall, Trump just said “herd mentality” when he meant “herd immunity.” But in Trumpland the former is so prevalent you can almost excuse Trump’s apparent cognitive decline.

— George Takei (@GeorgeTakei) September 16, 2020

He has the best words

Trump brags on Twitter that declaration of disaster due to Covid-19 is "winning"

Wikimedia

Remember only 47 days until the election. Are you registered to vote?

#HerdMentality ?@realDonaldTrump You are a moron of bovine proportions. #HerdImmunity

— Minnie Driver (@driverminnie) September 16, 2020

You do realize that the reason the #OrangeDeath mixes up “herd immunity” and “herd mentality” is because he doesn’t know what either of them means. #TrumpIsIgnorant

— Marina Sirtis (@Marina_Sirtis) September 16, 2020