‘Trump crossed out “coronavirus” and added “Chinese” virus on speech’ after insisting it’s ‘not racist’
DONALD Trump reportedly crossed out “coronavirus” and added “Chinese” virus on his speech notes, according to a press photo.
Trump appeared to replace the name of with the term which has angered Chinese officials this week.
The apparent change was revealed when a Washington Post photographer an image of a page of Trump's notes.
Earlier today, Trump , which killed at least 171 Americans and has infected thousands as of March 19.
Alongside two pictures - one of them zoomed, in - photographer Jabin Botsfield wrote: "Close up of President [Donald Trump's] notes is seen.
"[He] crossed out 'Corona' and replaced it with 'Chinese' Virus as he speaks with his coronavirus task force today at the White House."
The shot was reportedly taken during the president's daily coronavirus briefing earlier this afternoon as the disease - which emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan - rapidly spread to all 50 states.
Trump previously defended using the phrase when Chinese officials asked the US to "correct the mistake."
He referred to the deadly disease as a "Chinese Virus" on Twitter again on Wednesday night, writing "I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously."
The president had previously praised Chinese President Xi Jinping's response to the outbreak there but he began to blame for an alleged cover up.
“It would have been much better if we had known about this a number of months earlier," he told reporters during today's press briefing.
"It could have been contained to that one area in China where it started."
The president said he only used the term because officials in China claimed the US military started coronavirus as a US biological weapon.
"Rather than having an argument, I said, I have to call it where it came from. It did come from China," Trump said on Tuesday afternoon.
to the White House hours after Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijan said "it might be US army who brought the epidemic to Wuhan" on Twitter.
Like Trump, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted this as "fake news" and said China was trying to "shift blame".
Pompeo emphasized "this is not the time to spread disinformation and outlandish rumors, but rather a time for all nations to come together to fight this common threat."
Geng Shuang, a spokesperson from China's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, told reporters "certain politicians" were stigmatizing China by linking it to COVID-19 earlier this week.
"We express strong indignation and resolute opposition to this," Shuang declared.
"The urgent task for the international community is to respond with aggressive and concerted efforts.
"The US should get its domestic issues handled first, and make constructive efforts in international cooperation to safeguard global public health security."
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Trump warned the virus which reportedly emerged from a meat market in the Chinese province of Hubei could tip the US into recession.
He has described it as "an invisible enemy" that nobody thought about a month ago, telling reporters "this one's a bad one."
The news of Trump using the term "Chinese Virus" come after a March 13 study by found 95 percent of coronavirus cases could have been prevented if China acted just three weeks earlier.
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