President Donald Trump said he may stop referring to the coronavirus as the “Wuhan Virus” at a Thursday press briefing, but clarified that he didn’t think there was anything wrong with the term.
Trump has emphasized the disease’s origin in China for weeks, rejecting suggestions from Democrats and the media that doing so is racist. Trump said naming diseases after places is a common occurrence, referencing Lyme Disease specifically. But he clarified that if China continues to protest the name he may stop using it. (RELATED: Canada Urges Trump Not To Send Troops To Northern Border)
FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump meets with China’s President Xi Jinping at the start of their bilateral meeting at the G20 leaders summit in Osaka, Japan, June 29, 2019. REUTERS/Kevin Lamarque/File Photo – RC221E9EMQJ8
“If you look at Ebola, right, if you look at Lyme in Connecticut, you look at all these different horrible diseases, they seem to come with a name with a location,” he said. “I don’t have to say it if they feel so strongly about it, we’ll see.”
President Trump has a call with Chinese leader Xi Jinping Thursday night, which he said will be a “fruitful call.” (RELATED: Trump Admin Moves To Limit Huawei’s Access To Computer Chips)
The briefing came hours after the Senate passed a $2 trillion coronavirus relief bill in a 96-0 vote Wednesday night. It is expected to be brought to a vote in the House Friday.