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VIDEO: President Trump leads briefing on COVID-19

By Associated Press

March 24, 2020

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COURTESY WHITE HOUSE YOUTUBE

ASSOCIATED PRESS
President Donald Trump speaks with Vice President Mike Pence as they arrive for a Fox News Channel virtual town hall, at the White House today in Washington.

WASHINGTON >> President Donald Trump isn’t calling the new coronavirus the “Chinese virus” anymore.

Trump had insisted on pointing out the virus’ Chinese origin in appearances over the past few weeks. Asians have said the term is offensive and has put them at risk.

Trump didn’t use the term during an hour-long appearance today on Fox News. Nor did he repeat it during a nearly 2-hour White House briefing a day earlier.

The president in the past has defended using the term, but today he cited his good relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping and the loss China has suffered because of the virus.

Trump says everyone knows the coronavirus came out of China and says he decided not to make “any more of a big deal out of it.”

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