Pompeo Insists the G7 Ministers Call it the “Wuhan Virus” [Updated w/ “G6” Responses]

Our rapturous Secretary of State not only insists on calling the coronavirus by the racist monicker “Wuhan virus,” he’s trying to force the G7 foreign ministers to go along:

UK Independent:  Coronavirus: Mike Pompeo insists G7 use 'Wuhan Virus' – but world officials refuse

Ministers of the G7 – the “Group of 7” intergovernmental economic group including the US, UK, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan –  haven’t been able to issue a joint statement because the US insists on calling the coronavirus the “Wuhan Virus.”

The story originally broke in Der Spiegel, in German, and I don’t see it in their English website yet. (My German is from so many years ago I don’t even want to try to translate it.)

The Hill has also picked up the story: Pompeo pressed G-7 leaders to refer to 'Wuhan virus' in statement: report

The G-7 leaders have thus far not been able to agree on a joint statement because of Pompeo’s insistence that the group should refer to the disease as the “Wuhan virus,” which other member states have rejected.

When asked about the report at a media availability teleconference, Pompeo, who repeatedly referred to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan virus,” did not deny the reports. Pompeo appeared to double-down on his rhetoric in an attempt to hold the Chinese Communist Party accountable for its handling of the virus.

Let’s be clear; the WHO — which has a policy of not assigning geographical names to diseases in order to “minimize unnecessary negative effects on nations, economies and people” — has specifically argued against calling COVID-19 the “Wuhan virus.” But Pompeo (along with Trump) has persisted in doing so. And now he wants the G7 to give it an official seal of approval.

It’s not enough that Trump and his cabinet spout racist rhetoric. They want to bully the rest of the West into doing the same.