A week after Donald Trump‘s tour of a personal protective equipment factory in Arizona, Guns N’ Roses (GNR) is taking aim at the U.S. president for not wearing a mask in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Trump, 73, visited the Honeywell International facility, which produces N95 masks, on May 5 and opted not to wear a protective mask despite others wearing face coverings in the factory and the use of masks being recommended by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
A video was captured of Trump not wearing a mask at the facility while GNR’s 1991 cover of Wings’ Live and Let Die plays in the background. In the footage, the president gives a thumbs-up to the camera.
The clip quickly went viral and seemed to inspire the Los Angeles, Calif.-based hard rock band to create a T-shirt that jokingly commemorates the event and the 45th U.S. president.
The limited-edition all-black T-shirt reads “Live N’ Let Die With COVID 45” in the band’s signature font. It was listed as a pre-order item through the It’s So Easy rockers’ official web store on Wednesday evening.
One hundred per cent of proceeds from the T-shirt sales will be donated to MusiCares‘ newly launched COVID-19 relief fund, which was established by the Recording Academy to assist peers in the music community affected by the global health crisis.
Following the T-shirt’s initial debut on Twitter, many fans seemed unimpressed with the band’s gag, expressing their disapproval of the shirt and accusing GNR of using the novel coronavirus as a way to make a profit, seeming not to realize that all T-shirt proceeds will go to charity.
“Unless you’re giving the proceeds to charity, this is a pretty disgusting way to make money off a global pandemic,” tweeted one individual.
Here’s what some Twitter users had to say:
“Looks like GNR’s (management) was too afraid to tell Axl (Rose) what a tone-deaf idea this was,” tweeted another.
“I hope Paul McCartney sends a cease and desist,” they added, referring to Live and Let Die’s original songwriter.
Some supportive fans, on the other hand, backed the band up, expressing their desire to purchase the apparel.
“Axl giving the finger to Trump constantly just makes me smile,” wrote one fan who revealed they had bought the shirt.
Following Trump’s visit to Honeywell, GNR frontman Axl Rose triggered a feud with U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin on May 6.
Seemingly referring to an interview that Fox Business conducted with Mnuchin on Monday — in which the politician suggested it might be a good time for U.S. citizens to travel domestically — Rose, 58, called Mnuchin an “a–hole” on Twitter.
“It’s official! Whatever anyone may have previously thought of Steve Mnuchin, he’s officially an a–hole,” the November Rain singer wrote on the popular social media platform.
Less than two hours later, Mnuchin, 57, fired back at the Welcome to the Jungle singer, asking: “What have you done for the country lately?”
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Health officials caution against all international travel. Returning travellers are legally obligated to self-isolate for 14 days, beginning March 26, in case they develop symptoms and to prevent spreading the virus to others. Some provinces and territories have also implemented additional recommendations or enforcement measures to ensure those returning to the area self-isolate.
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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