During the coronavirus task force briefing at the White House on Tuesday, a reporter worried that President Trump's use of the term "Chinese virus" in a tweet is creating a "stigma" about the virus.
The reporter asked the president at the briefing, "China and others have criticized you for using the phrase 'Chinese virus.' How do you feel about that, are you going to continue using that phrase?"
But the president pushed back, saying, "Well, China was putting out information, which was false, that our military gave this to them. That was false. And rather than having an argument, I said I have to call it where it came from, it did come from China. So I think it’s a very accurate term. But no, I didn’t appreciate the fact that China was saying that our military gave it to them. Our military did not give it to anybody."
Clearly not satisfied and seeking to embarrass the president, the reporter replied, "Critics say using that phrase creates a stigma."
The president shot that down as well, asserting, "No, I don’t think so. No, I think saying that our military gave it to them creates a stigma."
