President Donald Trump on Saturday at the White House expressed his disappointment that China was dishonest and slow to alert the world about the seriousness of the coronavirus.
“I have great respect for China, I like China, I think the people of China are incredible. I have a tremendous relationship with President Xi. I wish they could have told us earlier about what was going on inside,” Trump said.
The president said that his federal doctors could have used the extra time to prepare for the virus.
“China was secretive OK?” Trump said. “Very, very secretive, and that’s unfortunate.”
Trump said that a two or three month jump on the virus would have been helpful.
Man who allegedly threatened to shoot ICE agents had rifles, body armor and ammo cache, feds say
Anonymous letter to California GOP chapter calls for war on ICE, urges agents be sent ‘home in a body bag’
Thousands march through Minneapolis, swarm Target Center demanding ICE removal from Minnesota
Christians Beaten, Abducted in Nigeria as Church Service Attacked, Prayer Books Desecrated, and Worship Instruments Broken
GOP Rep. Releases Footage to Preemptively Crush Democrats’ ICE Detention Facility Stunt
Mamdani clarifies NYC won’t check immigration status for universal childcare enrollees
California sues Trump administration over allegedly ‘unlawful’ pipeline restart approval years after oil spill
Trump’s pardon of House Dem Cuellar back in the spotlight as his brother faces indictment
Mike Johnson Tells March for Life Attendees His Teen Parents Were Told to Abort Him, Is ‘Eternally Grateful’ They Refused
Judge’s rejection of Don Lemon charges faces conflict of interest concerns
RNC takes first step toward greenlighting Trump’s midterm convention
FCC Puts Jimmy Kimmel and ‘The View’ on Notice in Warning to Shows ‘Motivated by Partisan Purposes’
More than a million veterans left without primary care providers because of VA staffing losses, watchdog warns
Indiana judge and wife allegedly shot by ‘high-ranking’ gang member facing trial in victim’s court
Judge who blasted Trump as ‘authoritarian’ blocks US from deporting pro-Palestinian campus activists
“They were having a big problem and they knew it, and I wish they could have given us an advance warning,” Trump said.
The president was questioned about his message on Twitter in January praising President Xi Jinping and his transparency.
China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 24, 2020
Trump said that he felt that China was transparent at the time, but pointedly told reporters they did not escape unscathed from the virus.
Man who allegedly threatened to shoot ICE agents had rifles, body armor and ammo cache, feds say
Anonymous letter to California GOP chapter calls for war on ICE, urges agents be sent ‘home in a body bag’
Thousands march through Minneapolis, swarm Target Center demanding ICE removal from Minnesota
Christians Beaten, Abducted in Nigeria as Church Service Attacked, Prayer Books Desecrated, and Worship Instruments Broken
GOP Rep. Releases Footage to Preemptively Crush Democrats’ ICE Detention Facility Stunt
Mamdani clarifies NYC won’t check immigration status for universal childcare enrollees
California sues Trump administration over allegedly ‘unlawful’ pipeline restart approval years after oil spill
Trump’s pardon of House Dem Cuellar back in the spotlight as his brother faces indictment
Mike Johnson Tells March for Life Attendees His Teen Parents Were Told to Abort Him, Is ‘Eternally Grateful’ They Refused
Judge’s rejection of Don Lemon charges faces conflict of interest concerns
RNC takes first step toward greenlighting Trump’s midterm convention
FCC Puts Jimmy Kimmel and ‘The View’ on Notice in Warning to Shows ‘Motivated by Partisan Purposes’
More than a million veterans left without primary care providers because of VA staffing losses, watchdog warns
Indiana judge and wife allegedly shot by ‘high-ranking’ gang member facing trial in victim’s court
Judge who blasted Trump as ‘authoritarian’ blocks US from deporting pro-Palestinian campus activists
“China has lost thousands and thousands of people,” Trump said. “China has gone through hell over this. They’ve gone through hell.”
Trump repeated that President Xi was “a friend” but wishes they would have been more vocal about the problem.
“I just wished they could have told us earlier,” Trump said.
Trump has sent a mixed message on China, frequently praising President Xi’s efforts to battle the coronavirus, but also describing it as the “Chinese virus” to remind the American public that it originated in China.
On February 13, Trump praised Xi as “extremely capable” for handling the crisis but admitted that “they want to put the best face on it.”
“You wouldn’t want to run out to the world and go crazy and start saying whatever it is, because you don’t want to create a panic,” he said during an interview with Geraldo Rivera.
The president told reporters on Saturday that he first took the coronavirus threat more seriously when he announced the travel bans on China on January 31.
Story cited here.
