WASHINGTON: United StatePresident Donald Trump on Wednesday insisted that he was justified in calling the coronavirus pandemic as the “Chinese Virus” despite immense criticism that the label is racially offensive.
“It’s not racist at all. No, not at all. It comes from China, that’s why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate,” Trump told reporters at the White House coronavirus task force’s daily news briefing as he was pressed on his repeated use of the term.
When pressed again, he said: “I have great love for all of the people from our country, but as you know China tried to say at one point … that it was caused by American soldiers. That can’t happen. It’s not gonna happen, not as long as I’m President. It comes from China.”
Earlier on Wednesday, the president invoked the term in three Twitter posts, assuring Americans forced out of work by the outbreak that the “onslaught of the Chinese Virus is not your fault.”
Trump said he would be holding a news conference to discuss an announcement “concerning the Chinese Virus” and claimed he had “always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously,” despite his previous comments minimizing its risk to the country.
Trump first used the “Chinese Virus” description on Monday, lamenting the industries and states that have been affected by the pandemic. Hee also mentioned it in his opening remarks at a White House meeting with tourism industry executives.
The president’s decision to switch labels for the coronavirus comes after referring to COVID-19 as a “foreign virus” in an official address last week and represents another apparent attempt to deflect blame for the public health crisis.
Trump also claimed that former President Barack Obama was responsible for the current administration’s failure to test large numbers of Americans for the coronavirus remarking, “I don’t take responsibility at all.”
Trump’s adoption of ‘Chinese Virus’ is a twist on the phrase ‘Wuhan virus’ which gained some prominence and has since been echoed by White House officials, including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
Chinese officials have lashed out over the word choice, with Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang condemning “the despicable practice of individual US politicians eagerly stigmatizing China and Wuhan by association with the novel coronavirus, disrespecting science and WHO.”
Trump also denied that his use of the term ‘Chinese Virus’ put Asian Americans at risk. “No, not all. I think they probably would agree with it 100 percent. It comes from China. There’s nothing not to agree,” he said.
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