Trump said news organizations are making coronavirus "look as bad as possible."
February 26, 2020, 1:56 PM
6 min read
Following days of sending mixed messages on the risk the coronavirus poses to the United States, President Donald Trump announced Wednesday morning he will hold a news conference at the White House with Centers for Disease Control representatives at 6 p.m. and blamed news organizations for making coronavius "look as bad as possible."
"Low Ratings Fake News MSDNC (Comcast) & @CNN are doing everything possible to make the Caronavirus look as bad as possible, including panicking markets, if possible. Likewise their incompetent Do Nothing Democrat comrades are all talk, no action. USA in great shape!" he tweeted. "I will be having a News Conference at the White House, on this subject, today at 6:00 P.M. CDC representatives, and others, will be there. Thank you!"
Just after he arrived back in Washington Wednesday morning, Trump tweeted that the CDC and his administration were doing a "great job."
In contrast to what the president and his aides have been saying about the situation being contained, CDC officials warned Americans of "significant disruption" coming because of the virus.
"Ultimately, we expect we will see community spread in this country," Dr. Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said Tuesday at a news conference.
On Tuesday night, while traveling back from India on Air Force One, he tweeted back at the Democratic candidates who blasted his handling of the coronavirus crisis during their debate in South Carolina.
Trump, speaking in New Delhi on Tuesday, played down concerns about the coronavirus in the U.S., saying the situation was "under control" and was a "problem that's going to go away."
"We have very few people with it," Trump told reporters at a news conference in New Delhi, adding that he was not totally caught up on the latest details because of his trip to India but that "the people are getting better, they're all getting better," referring to patients in the U.S.
"I think that whole situation will start working out. Lot of talent, lot of brain power is being put behind it," he said.
Trump's comments come on the heels of sharp criticism from Democrats on the response from the White House. The administration on Monday asked Congress for emergency funding to deal with crisis -- $1.25 billion in new funding and another $1.25 billion shifted from existing funding previously allocated for other reasons, including some designated to deal with the Ebola virus.
As health officials warn the coronavirus likely will spread throughout communities in the U.S., the Dow Jones Industrial Average plunged Tuesday for the second straight day, tumbling 879 points.
The Dow fell more than 3% when trading closed, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq also tumbling Tuesday, by more than 3% and by more than 2.7%, respectively.
