Nick Cordero's widow Amanda Kloots slams Trump's "Don't be afraid of Covid" tweet
President Trump tweeted on Monday as he prepared to leave Walter Reed that people shouldn't be afraid of COVID-19 or let it dominate their lives – as the death toll in America topped 210,000. For Amanda Kloots, who lost her husband, Broadway actor Nick Cordero, to the virus, that tweet hit a nerve.
Kloots posted Mr. Trump's tweet on Instagram, with her own message to other families who lost loved ones to the virus: "I stand by you, with you, holding your hand."
"Unfortunately it did dominate our lives didn't it? It dominated Nick's family's lives and my family's lives. I guess we 'let it' – like it was our choice??" her post continued.
"Unfortunately not everyone is lucky enough to spend two days in the hospital," she said, referring to Mr. Trump's short stay for COVID-19 treatment. "I cried next to my husband for 95 days watching what COVID did to the person I love. It IS something to be afraid of."
President Trump left Walter Reed medical center on Monday evening, three days after he was flown there for treatment and hours after the medical team treating him for COVID-19 cautioned he's "not out of the woods yet."
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During her husband's long battle with the virus, Kloots often used her Instagram to update fans and share information about what his harrowing journey looked like. She had not directly spoken about the president's coronavirus diagnosis on Instagram until Monday night, when her posts went viral.
Cordero, 41, was intubated on April 1, and in addition to suffering from pneumonia, he went into septic shock, had two "mini strokes," had a temporary pacemaker and suffered from blood clotting complications which resulted in his right leg being amputated, Kloots has said.
At the end of his battle, Cordreo was in a "vicious ICU dance circle," Kloots said. The Tony Award-nominated actor died on July 5.
On her Instagram stories Monday, Kloots said she is usually not a political person "but this is kind of hard to ignore." She said she was "frozen" and couldn't believe what she read when she saw Mr. Trump's tweet.
Kloots became flustered and choked up when speaking on Instagram to others who have lost loved ones to COVID-19. "Not everyone's lucky enough," she said, pausing to collect herself, "to walk out of the hospital after two days."
Kloots said after seeing what the disease could do, she's still afraid of it, adding that if she got it as bad as her husband did, her 1-year-old son, Elvis, wouldn't have parents. She said even if Cordero survived, it would have forever affected their lives.
"It's beyond hurtful. And have some empathy. Why are you bragging? Have empathy to the Americans that you are our leader," she said, tearing up while talking about Mr. Trump.
"To act like this disease is nothing and you got right over it, I'm so happy that you did," she said. "You know, thank God you did. But guess what? There are a lot of people that didn't."
She said the president's tweet should've said he has a "small idea of what this disease is like," and that he is sorry to the people who lost their lives to it.
She said the president should instead stand with grieving families and encourage Americans to continue practicing social distancing and wearing masks. "Say something kind. Say something to make the people that you lead feel like you got us, that you're wrapping your arms around us," she said.