WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump and members of his administration mobilised on Friday to confront the threat of the coronavirus - not just the outbreak but the news media and the Democrats they accused of exaggerating its danger.
At a campaign rally on Friday evening in South Carolina, the President denounced Democrats, describing the concerns they have expressed about the virus as"their new hoax" after the Russia investigation and then impeachment."Now the Democrats are politicising the coronavirus," he said."We did one of the great jobs. You say, 'How's President Trump doing?' They go, 'Oh, not good, not good.' They have no clue. They don't have any clue.
While other presidents in moments like this have sought to transcend politics and assert national leadership, Mr Trump has framed the issue in partisan terms while playing down the risk to the United States. Privately he has been consumed by concern that his enemies will use the coronavirus and the economic impact it has against him as he seeks re-election.
Administration officials held a briefing at the White House featuring Mr Alex Azar, the Secretary of Health and Human Services, along with Mr Russell Vought, the budget director, and Mr Eric Ueland, the White House legislative director. After each official read off a series of prepared talking points, they took only a handful of questions from journalists.
"Washington is always going to have a political reflexive response to things,"Mr Pence said."But we're going to tune that out." Mr Mulvaney noted that the administration took action weeks ago to prevent a public health emergency by limiting travel from China, where the worst outbreak has centred."Why didn't you hear about it?" he asked."What was still going on four or five weeks ago? Impeachment, that's all the press wanted to talk about.
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