Numerous right-wing media figures and outlets have used and celebrated the racist term “kung flu” to refer to the coronavirus, further contributing to an atmosphere of hate against Asian Americans.
Among the more than dozen examples: Fox News host Pete Hegseth praised the term as “funny”; Daily Wire host Michael Knowles said it was “fairly amusing” and “very important” to use; and YouTube Partner Program personality Steven Crowder posted a video on the platform of himself in Asian garb singing “Kung Flu Fighting.”
Notably, former President Donald Trump has also repeatedly used the “kung flu” phrase.
On March 16, eight people, including six Asian women, were killed in Atlanta-area spas by an alleged shooter. Investigators have not reached a conclusion as to the motivation for the killings, but they come at a time when Asian Americans have reported thousands of hate incidents and seen an increase in hate crimes during the coronavirus pandemic.
Stop AAPI Hate recently wrote that it had received reports of 3,795 such hate incidents from March 19, 2020, to February 28, 2021. Those incidents include “verbal harassment,” “shunning,” and “physical assault.” Additionally, the reporting center found that “women report hate incidents 2.3 times more than men.”
The Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University also recently found that “Anti-Asian hate crime in 16 of America’s largest cities increased 149% in 2020 according to an analysis of official preliminary police data.”
The following are over a dozen examples of right-wing media figures and outlets contributing to anti-Asian hate by using and celebrating the racist “kung flu” term:
- Fox News' Pete Hegseth: “Say it with me, Tucker: Wuhan virus, Chinese virus, maybe even the kung flu. You know, a little off color, but funny.”
- Steven Crowder made a “Kung Flu Fighting” YouTube video.
- Fox News regular Mark Steyn sang a version of “Kung Flu Fighting” on his radio show.
- Fox News' Kayleigh McEnany defended the use of “kung flu” as White House press secretary.
- The Daily Wire's Michael Knowles: “Kung flu” and “chop fluey” are “pretty funny,” “fairly amusing,” and “very important” to use.
- Radio host Eric Metaxas: “The correct term is 'kung flu panda-demic.'”
- Columnist Ann Coulter used “kung flu” in her syndicated column.
- Commentator Chadwick Moore: “Stop calling it Covid-19. It’s Wu Flu, Kung Flu, Wuhan virus, Bat Soup Bug, Sweet n Sour Sicken, or China virus.”
- Newsmax's Michael Reagan repeatedly used “kung flu” in his columns.
- Commentator Terrence K. Williams: “I won’t say Ching Chong Virus again. I mean the Ching Chong Virus. No I mean the Kung Flu.”
- The Daily Wire’s Andrew Klavan referred to the coronavirus as ‘kung flu” and also “the stinking Chinese.”
- RedState writers have repeatedly referred to COVID-19 as “kung flu.”
- VDare repeatedly used “kung flu” on its white nationalist site.
- The Young America’s Foundation posted racist meme using “kung flu.”
Fox News' Pete Hegseth: “Say it with me, Tucker: Wuhan virus, Chinese virus, maybe even the kung flu. You know, a little off color, but funny.”