US President Donald Trump has lauded Indian-American scientists and researchers for their efforts in developing medicines and vaccines to treat the deadly coronavirus.
President Trump said the US was closely working with India to tackle the pandemic.
“We have a tremendous Indian population in the United States and many of the people that you are talking about are working on the vaccine too. Great scientists and researchers,” Donald Trump told reporters in the Rose Garden of the White House on Friday.
He was responding to the Indian-American community’s appreciation of his fight against the coronavirus. This is the first time that a President has recognised the scientific and research talent of the Indian-American community.
A large number of scientists are engaged in cutting edge research in various aspects of medical science, including at the National Institute of Health, universities, research institutes and bio-pharma startups.
There are an estimated 4 million Indian-Americans in the United States, of which about 2.5 million are potential voters in the 2020 presidential elections this November.
As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump was the first nominee to hold a separate election rally for Indian-Americans in October 2016 in New Jersey.
Since then he has described himself as the best friend of India and Indian-Americans at the White House.
According to the co-chair of Trump Victory Indian-American Finance Committee, Al Masson, the president is not just a sensitive guardian to his 325 million fellow Americans, he is also their resolute and humanitarian commander-in-chief.
“He has brought forth his true empathy and determination – blended with just the right solutions to fight this “Made in China” coronavirus pandemic. His mission is to save American lives and revive the American economy. By doing whatever it takes,” Mason said on Friday.
“Trump is unbeatable. His critics and enemies should leave him alone. They should let him focus on fighting for all Americans against the invisible coronavirus pandemic and rebuilding the economy. He is a master at whatever he builds and he believes in the power of prayer,” said Mr Mason.
Senior Advisor to Donald J Trump for President, Inc. and National Chair of the Trump Victory Finance Committee Kimberly Guilfoyle, in a recent op-ed in The Daily Caller, said Trump has the American people on his side.
“At this point, Team Trump has raised over USD 742 million with over USD 255 million cash on hand. Since the transition to a virtual national campaign, Trump Victory, in coordination with the Republican National Convention, has made over 20 million voter contacts and added more than 300,000 new volunteers, bringing the total to 1 million volunteers trained and activated,” Ms Guilfoyle wrote.
The amount raised by Indian-Americans for Trump’s campaign is not available as of now.
The coronavirus, which first emerged in China’s Wuhan city has claimed over 3,00,000 lives with 4.5 million confirmed infections across the world so far.
The US alone accounts for over 87,000 COVID-19 deaths.
