‘We Don’t Blame Trump, We Blame China’: Lindsey Graham Claims Beijing Responsible for ‘16,000 American Deaths’

Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC) blasted China and laid the blame for the U.S.’s entire coronavirus death toll and skyrocketing unemployment on that country’s authoritarian government.

Appearing on Fox News’ Hannity, Graham railed against the Chinese government and claimed its early, reported attempts to hide the outbreak from its own citizens and the outside world were the reason that the the virus turned into a pandemic that spread to the U.S. The South Carolina senator also previewed a Congressional move that would seek to formally place responsibility for the COVID-19 outbreak on China — and absolve President Donald Trump.

“The first thing I want to do is get the United States Senate on the record where we, we don’t blame trump, we blame China,” Graham explained. “The Chinese government is responsible for 16,000 American deaths and 17 million Americans being unemployed, it’s the Chinese government and the way they behave that led to this pandemic.”

“This is the third one to come out of China,” Graham said, alluding to previous 1957 Asian flu and 1968 Hong Kong flu outbreaks that left millions dead worldwide. “I want to make our response to this so overwhelming that China will change its behavior.”

Watch the video above, via Fox News.