President Donald Trump speaks during a press briefing with the coronavirus task force, at the White House, Tuesday, March 17, 2020, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)
It’s been a week since President Trump addressed the nation on the serious steps the government was preparing to take to combat the Wuhan coronavirus, and yet the mainstream media and Democrats are still – STILL – obsessing over the fact that he continues to correctly refer to it the “Chinese virus.”
The latest example occurred earlier today during the daily White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing as Trump was taking questions from reporters.
Using an incredulous tone, a clearly annoyed ABC News White House correspondent Cecilia Vega asked Trump “Okay, why do you keep calling this the ‘Chinese virus’? There are reports of dozens of incidents of bias against Chinese-Americans in this country.”
To further expand on her Democratic talking point question, Vega said that “your own aide, Secretary Azar, says he does NOT use this term. He says ethnicity does not cause the virus. Why do you keep using this? A lot of people say it’s racist,” she alleged, not pointing out that it’s clear from her tone and facial expressions that’s she’s one of those people who believes it’s “racist.”
Trump calmly responded by simply telling her that he uses it “because it comes from China. It’s not racist at all [to say it]. No, not at all.”
He repeated himself to try to get the point across. “It comes from China, that’s why. Comes from China. I want to be accurate,” Trump again noted, this time emphasizing the name “China” in hopes that Vega would understand.
She didn’t.
Growing more agitated, Vega pressed on as Trump attempted to call on another reporter. “And no concerns about Chinese-Americans in this country? Are you comfortable with this term?”
Trump kept his cool, but there was a noticeable shift in his demeanor.
“I have great love for all of the people from our country.” he explained. “But, as you know, China tried to say at one point – maybe they’ll stop now – 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.”
He then pointed to another journalist to get their question.
Watch the illuminating exchange below:
https://twitter.com/alx/status/1240315956192333831
Perhaps if Vega continues to have questions about why Trump calls it the Chinese virus, she should ask CNN’s national security correspondent Kylie Atwood, who accidentally made the case last week for why it should be referred to as the Wuhan coronavirus.
That said, even if Trump had been reconsidering calling it the Wuhan coronavirus, the moment China started alleging the U.S. military was behind the disease would have put that thought out to pasture.
As Trump has shown many times throughout his presidency, he’s not going to alter the way he speaks simply because someone gets offended.
Nor should he. Especially when it comes to something as vitally important as the origins of this virus.
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