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Donald Trump blasted on Twitter for boasting 'did you know I was number one on Facebook?' at coronavirus briefing

REUTERS
REUTERS

Donald Trump has been blasted on Twitter after he boasted to be "number one on Facebook" during the White Housecoronavirus press briefing.

Speaking at the conference on Wednesday, the US President was answering a question about a series of earlier tweets threatening Iran when he said: “Did you know I was number one on Facebook?"

He continued: "I just found out I’m number one on Facebook. I thought that was very nice. For whatever it means, it represents something."

While Mr Trump did not specify how he was "number one" on the social media platform, Twitter users were quick to point out that he only has 29 million follows compared to Barack Obama's 54 million while Christiano Ronaldo has more than 126 million.

The president's comments came as the US death toll from the coronavirus pandemic passed 5,000, while more than 216,000 are now infected - the world's highest figure.

He quickly faced a huge backlash on Twitter as social media users slammed his personal boast while the international Covid-19 crisis rages on.

One user wrote that "not by any conceivable metric" was he number one on Facebook.

They said: "It's bad enough he stopped to brag about it during a briefing on a global pandemic. But, it isn't even true."

Writer Aaron Blitzstein joked: "To all the doctors and nurses on the front lines staring death in the face every day with little to no protection, just want to be sure you know Donald Trump is number one on Facebook."

Julia Davis wrote: "What a foolish thing to lie about".

Another tweeted: "People are dying and @realDonaldTrump cares that he is number one on FB."

Some were quick to compare his comments with the US now having the highest number of coronavirus cases in the world.

One said: "Number one overall in #coronavirus deaths too. Many people said it was impossible!"

"Also number one in Corona, congrats @realDonaldTrump," another wrote.

Some were also quick to point out that his comments came alongside other seemingly irrelevant topics he covered during the coronavirus press breifing, including Mexican drug cartels.

One user wrote: "Did you know I’m number one on Facebook?” Donald Trump says in a press conference that was supposed to be about the coronavirus but is about drug cartels."