Jake Lahut, MSN, March 18, 2020

President Donald Trump once again doubled down on calling the COVID-19 virus or the coronavirus “Chinese virus” at the outset of Wednesday’s White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing.

When asked by a reporter why he kept using the term – which the CDC advises against – and whether he thought it was racist, Trump insisted it was not.

“Because it comes from China,” Trump said. “It’s not racist at all. No, not at all. It comes from China. That’s why. It comes from China.”

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CDC Chief Robert Redfield testified to the House last week and replied “yes” to a question asking if it is “absolutely wrong and inappropriate to call this the Chinese coronavirus.”

At a Feb. 27 hearing, HHS Secretary Alex Azar also said people should not attach a nationality to the virus when describing it.

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The World Health Organisation has urged people not to use other terms such as “Wuhan virus,” “Chinese virus” or “Asian virus.”

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