Ricky Gervais’ tweet was a sarcastic comment, in which he claimed “the fact that there are warnings like ‘Do not drink’ on bottles of bleach makes me realise that Donald Trump can become President”. Replying to him this week, one Twitter user said “What’s up, Nostradamus?” Not only did Trump go on to win the 2016 US election, but his recent suggestion for how to combat the coronavirus pandemic now makes the comedian’s tweet incredibly relevant.
Last week in a White House press conference, Trump suggested using bleach-filled products to fight coronavirus, as it “knocks it out in a minute”.
The US President also suggested using ultraviolet rays.
He said: “So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous – whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said that hasn’t been checked but you’re going to test it.
“And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside of the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you’re going to test that too. Sounds interesting.
“And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?
“So it’d be interesting to check that.”
Pointing to his head, Trump added: “I’m not a doctor. But I’m, like, a person that has a good you-know-what.”
His election rival for this year’s vote – Joe Biden – tweeted after the briefing: “I can’t believe I have to say this, but please don’t drink bleach.”
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But while most entertainers or comedians are often rebuked for the offence caused by a joke, Gervais says Trump ammasses more support rather than face criticism for his outlandish statements.
He added: “When was the last time you saw a future president say: ‘I wanted to punch him in the face.’ And people go ‘yeah, it’s about time!’”
In the same year, Gervais also did an interview with the Hollywood Reporter in which he said the US got the leader “they deserve”.
He said: “And in a sense, you get what you deserve. That’s democracy, baby! It’s just a really odd thing to have this man who’s meant to be the most powerful man in the world act like a Twitter troll.”