'Not as long as I'm president': Trump tells reporter pursuing 'racism' angle why he refers to COVID19 as the 'Chinese virus'

President Trump opened up today’s press briefing with the White House’s coronavirus response team by referring to the virus in a particular way:

Trump begins: "I would like to begin by announcing some important developments in our war against the Chinese virus."

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 18, 2020

Trump, as he did yesterday when asked a similar question, answered this way:

Trump: "It comes from China."

— Ben White (@morningmoneyben) March 18, 2020

"Why do you keep calling this the Chinese virus?"

President Trump: "Because it comes from China." pic.twitter.com/HfmAtTUzny

— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) March 18, 2020

The president elaborated:

Pres Trump defends his references to Coronavirus as "the Chinese virus." He says it's not racist at all, but the virus "comes from China." He also admitted anger for those in China who tried to say the virus was caused by American soldiers. "It comes from China," he stressed.

— Mark Knoller (@markknoller) March 18, 2020

Nuclear answer from Trump on why he says "Chinese virus"

"Because China tried to say it came from American soldiers, that can't happen, not while I'm President"

— Saagar Enjeti (@esaagar) March 18, 2020

Well, there it is!

Trump opens presser calling it the "Chinese Virus."

He knows what China did here and they're on notice

— John Cardillo (@johncardillo) March 18, 2020

Such an unbelievably stupid line of attack. I hope she's never referred to Ebola or Zika in her reporting. The virus not only came from China, we are in a pandemic lockdown because China lied to the world about it. https://t.co/bQQ2jnGx6L

— Marc Thiessen (@marcthiessen) March 18, 2020

He is ruthless in stating facts. https://t.co/RH80oEtFoB

— Nilesh Machkar (@Nilesh_Machkar) March 18, 2020

And then there’s this:

For all those outraged by Trump calling it 'Chinese Virus' or 'Wuhan Virus', here are myriad TV news people doing the same thing. The hypocrisy, as so often with all things Trump, is breathtaking… https://t.co/uHXrVZ7x3Z via @YouTube

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) March 18, 2020

The media’s sense of self-awareness has been AWOL for a long time now.