Trump blames China and accuses them of possibly deliberately deceiving the world
Washington (dpa) – US President Donald Trump blamed China for the worldwide spread of the corona virus. “It could have been stopped in China,” Trump said during his daily press conference at the White House.
“It didn’t happen, and the whole world is suffering because of it.” The president has therefore accused the government in Beijing of failing to act. He called criticism of his government in the Corona crisis a “witch hunt”.
TRUMP: CHINA’S MISTAKE – OR INTENT?
Trump said: “The question was asked: Would you be angry with China?” The answer to that question could be a very loud yes. But that depends: Was it a mistake that went out of control or was it done deliberately?” In the latter case, “should there be consequences”. In either case, the government in Beijing should have allowed US experts to investigate the events on site. “They didn’t want us there. I think they were ashamed. I think they knew it was a bad thing.”
DID CHINA FOOL THE WORLD?
According to US media reports, China may not have informed the international community about the virus for days. There are also reports in the US citing US intelligence that the virus could have originated from a research lab in China. According to this theory, the virus was inadvertently brought to the city of Wuhan, where the pandemic originated, by an employee of the Institute of Virology in Wuhan.
WHO HAS THE MOST CASUALTIES?
Trump said on Saturday night that he was convinced that it was China, not the US, that had the most deaths in the pandemic – contrary to statistics that place most victims in the US. “We are not in first place, China is in first place,” he stressed. According to a survey by Johns Hopkins University – but based on data from other sources – more than 4300 people have died in China as a result of the pandemic. According to the survey, there are now over 38,000 deaths in the USA, more than in any other country in the world.
The coordinator of the White House’s Corona working group, medical doctor Deborah Birx, also said at the press conference with regard to the data from China that they were “unrealistic”. Trump said, “Does anyone really believe these numbers?”
TRUMP HEATS UP PROTESTS AGAINST PROTECTIVE MEASURES
Trump again attacked Democratic governors in the states. His administration has provided ventilators and increased hospital beds in affected states, he said. There was also sufficient testing capacity, which the governors just did not use. Several Republican and Democratic governors continue to complain about a lack of nationwide testing, which is a prerequisite for Trump’s gradual reopening of the economy. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Saturday, “Testing will continue to be an issue.” DeSantis is a loyal supporter of Trump.
CRITICISM OF TRUMP’S CORONA REACTION A “WITCH HUNT”?
Trump compared the criticism of his government in the crisis to the Russian investigation by the Federal Police FBI into whether his campaign team had made secret arrangements with Russia. The investigators found no evidence of this in their report presented last year. “This should not be a partisan witch hunt like the Russia witch hunt,” Trump said on Saturday night.
Critics accuse Trump of wanting to distract from his own failures before the presidential election in November and therefore looking for scapegoats. On Tuesday, Trump had arranged for a temporary halt to US contributions to the WHO. He blamed the organisation for the many deaths in the crisis and accused it of exacerbating the epidemic with mismanagement and reliance on information from China.
“FREE MICHIGAN!”
Trump resisted criticism for sparking protests against protective measures to contain the coronavirus in democratically governed states. “Some have gone overboard,” Trump said, referring to the governors. On Friday, Trump had posted on Twitter in capital letters “Free Michigan!”, “Free Minnesota!” and “Free Virginia!” On Saturday, there were renewed demonstrations against the protective measures in several states, both Democratic and Republican.
“PEOPLE MUST RETURN TO WORK”
On Saturday, for example, a car convoy protested in Maryland’s capital Annapolis. The state is ruled by Republican Governor Larry Hogan, who is opposed to a relaxation of measures in view of rising infection rates – in line with White House guidelines. Demonstrator Charles Rex told Fox News: “This is absolutely ridiculous. People have to go back to work.” Demonstrator Janet Baker said “I want the Constitution to be protected and respected again.”
CONCERNS ABOUT EARLY TERMINATION OF MEASURES
Although the demonstrators get a lot of airtime on conservative US stations like Fox News, they are a tiny minority – usually only a few dozen people protesting in the respective states. According to a survey published on Thursday by the research institute Pew, 66 percent of Americans are concerned that the states could lift protective measures too soon. Around 73 percent fear that the worst is yet to come for the US. And 65 percent think that Trump reacted too late to the threat. This could be a problem for Trump: He’s running for reelection in November for a second term.
