London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Aug 01, 2025

New Zealand Lawmakers Are Hitting Back At Trump For His Comments About Their Coronavirus Cases

On Monday, the US recorded almost 38,000 new cases of COVID-19. New Zealand recorded just nine.

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and other New Zealand lawmakers are hitting back at President Donald Trump in unusually blunt terms over his comments comparing the coronavirus outbreak there to the US.

"Obviously it's patently wrong," Ardern told reporters on Tuesday in response to Trump saying there had been a "huge surge" in her country.

Speaking to supporters in Michigan on Monday, Trump tried to defend his handling of the pandemic by highlighting other countries who are experiencing sudden upticks.

“When you look at the rest of the world ... now all the sudden, a lot of the places that they were using to hold up, they’re having a big surge,” Trump said. “They were holding up names of countries, and now they’re saying, ‘Whoops!’

"In fact, even New Zealand," Trump said.

Following several months of no new COVID-19 infections in New Zealand, the country last week began seeing several cases emerge in the city of Auckland. That small outbreak, the source of which is under investigation, prompted Ardern to plunge the city back into lockdown.

According to public broadcaster Radio New Zealand, there are currently 90 active cases of the virus in all of New Zealand, which has a total population of 4.8 million people.

"You see what's going on in New Zealand. They beat it [the virus], they beat, it was like front-page [news] they beat it because they wanted to show me something," Trump said Monday.

"The problem is [there is a] big surge in New Zealand. You know it's terrible - we don't want that."

But New Zealand politicians called Trump out, saying it was not fair or accurate to compare their number of new cases - nine on Monday and 13 on Tuesday, according to Radio New Zealand - with the US.

"Obviously I don't think there's any comparisons between New Zealand's current cluster and the tens of thousands of cases that are being seen daily in the United States," said Ardern.

"Every country is experiencing its own fight with COVID-19," she added. "It is a tricky virus but not one where I would compare New Zealand's current status to the United States.

"New Zealand's nine cases in a day does not compare to the United States' tens of thousands," she said.

On Monday, the US recorded almost 38,000 new cases of COVID-19 and 406 deaths.

Other senior members of Ardern's government also pushed back against Trump - in strong language rarely seen from a US ally.



"The American people can work out that we have for a whole day what they every 22 seconds of a day," said Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters. "That speaks for itself."

"We know by now to take everything Donald Trump says with a grain of salt," said Greens leader James Shaw. "But coming from the leader of a country that had 42,000 new cases just yesterday, I think it's an absurd comparison."

Ardern announced on Monday that she would postpone her country's September election by four weeks due to the outbreak.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
JD.com Launches €2.2 Billion Bid for German Electronics Retailer Ceconomy
Azerbaijan Proceeds with Plan to Legalise Casinos on Artificial Islands
Former Judge Charged After Drunk Driving Crash Kills Comedian in Brazil
Jeff Bezos hasn’t paid a dollar in taxes for decades. He makes billions and pays $0 in taxes, LEGALLY
China Increases Use of Exit Bans Amid Rising U.S. Tensions
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Procter & Gamble to Raise U.S. Prices to Offset One‑Billion‑Dollar Tariff Cost
House Republicans Move to Defund OECD Over Global Tax Dispute
Botswana Seeks Controlling Stake in De Beers as Anglo American Prepares Exit
Trump Administration Proposes Repeal of Obama‑Era Endangerment Finding, Dismantling Regulatory Basis for CO₂ Emissions Limits
France Opens Criminal Investigation into X Over Algorithm Manipulation Allegations
A family has been arrested in the UK for displaying the British flag
Mel Gibson refuses to work with Robert De Niro, saying, "Keep that woke clown away from me."
Trump Steamrolls EU in Landmark Trade Win: US–EU Trade Deal Imposes 15% Tariff on European Imports
ChatGPT CEO Sam Altman says people share personal info with ChatGPT but don’t know chats can be used as court evidence in legal cases.
The British propaganda channel BBC News lies again.
Deputy attorney general's second day of meeting with Ghislaine Maxwell has concluded
Controversial March in Switzerland Features Men Dressed in Nazi Uniforms
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
Thai Civilian Death Toll Rises to 12 in Cambodian Cross-Border Attacks
TSUNAMI: Trump Just Crossed the Rubicon—And There’s No Turning Back
Over 120 Criminal Cases Dismissed in Boston Amid Public Defender Shortage
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
The Podcaster Who Accidentally Revealed He Earns Over $10 Million a Year
Trump Announces $550 Billion Japanese Investment and New Trade Agreements with Indonesia and the Philippines
US Treasury Secretary Calls for Institutional Review of Federal Reserve Amid AI‑Driven Growth Expectations
UK Government Considers Dropping Demand for Apple Encryption Backdoor
Severe Flooding in South Korea Claims Lives Amid Ongoing Rescue Operations
Japanese Man Discovers Family Connection Through DNA Testing After Decades of Separation
Russia Signals Openness to Ukraine Peace Talks Amid Escalating Drone Warfare
Switzerland Implements Ban on Mammography Screening
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
Pogacar Extends Dominance with Stage Fifteen Triumph at Tour de France
CEO Resigns Amid Controversy Over Relationship with HR Executive
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
NVIDIA Achieves $4 Trillion Valuation Amid AI Demand
US Revokes Visas of Brazilian Corrupted Judges Amid Fake Bolsonaro Investigation
U.S. Congress Approves Rescissions Act Cutting Federal Funding for NPR and PBS
North Korea Restricts Foreign Tourist Access to New Seaside Resort
Brazil's Supreme Court Imposes Radical Restrictions on Former President Bolsonaro
Centrist Criticism of von der Leyen Resurfaces as she Survives EU Confidence Vote
Judge Criticizes DOJ Over Secrecy in Dropping Charges Against Gang Leader
Apple Closes $16.5 Billion Tax Dispute With Ireland
Von der Leyen Faces Setback Over €2 Trillion EU Budget Proposal
UK and Germany Collaborate on Global Military Equipment Sales
Trump Plans Over 10% Tariffs on African and Caribbean Nations
Flying Taxi CEO Reclaims Billionaire Status After Stock Surge
Epstein Files Deepen Republican Party Divide
Zuckerberg Faces $8 Billion Privacy Lawsuit From Meta Shareholders
×