Trump could ban travel from ITALY ‘very soon’ he says as coronavirus crisis there mounts

Donald Trump could ban travel from ITALY ‘very soon’ he says as coronavirus crisis there mounts – but he steps up attacks on Democrats and the media claiming they are trying to ‘instill fear’

  • President Trump floated that he could ban travel from Italy and other countries that have higher rates of coronavirus infections  
  • Trump made the comments as he continued to attack the media and the Democrats over criticism of his response to the coronavirus outbreak 
  • ‘I think they’re doing everything they can to instill fear in people and I think it’s ridiculous and I think they’re very disreputable,’ Trump said 
  • Trump talked to reporters outside the White House late Friday afternoon before heading to Charleston, South Carolina for a campaign rally 
  • The president was asked if he thought the coronavirus situation was a ‘hoax,’ to which he said yes and called out CNN for being a ‘disreputable network’ 
  • He also said that while some Democrats have responded appropriately, the ones who have criticized him have only done so for political reasons
  • An hour before Trump stepped out on the South Lawn, Bernie Sanders called him ‘petty’ and ‘pathetic’ for holding a rally amid the coronavirus crisis  

President Trump floated that it was possible the U.S. could ban travel from Italy and other countries that have seen higher rates of coronavirus cases. 

‘Well, we’re looking at that right now and we’re looking at a couple of countries – a few countries that have a little bit disproportionately high number,’ Trump replied when asked, specifically, about Italy. ‘And we’re going to make that decision very soon.’  

Trump talked of tightening travel restrictions at the same time he attacked the media and the Democrats over their reactions to the coronavirus outbreak, suggesting the hype and the criticism were too much.   

‘I think they’re doing everything they can to instill fear in people and I think it’s ridiculous and I think they’re very disreputable,’ Trump answered on the South Lawn Friday when asked if he thought the coronavirus situation was a ‘hoax.’ 

Trump said yes and referenced CNN’s coverage, calling it a ‘disreputable network.’ 

President Trump continued to attack the media and the Democrats as he left the White House late Friday afternoon, suggesting the media over-hyped the coronavirus threat, while saying the Democrats only criticized his response due to politics

'I think they're doing everything they can to instill fear in people and I think it's ridiculous and I think they're very disreputable,' Trump told reporters Friday on the South Lawn as he left Washington, D.C. to attend a campaign rally in Charleston, South Carolina

‘I think they’re doing everything they can to instill fear in people and I think it’s ridiculous and I think they’re very disreputable,’ Trump told reporters Friday on the South Lawn as he left Washington, D.C. to attend a campaign rally in Charleston, South Carolina 

The president then said while some Democrats were reacting appropriately ‘some of them are trying to tain political favor by saying a lot about this,’ he said. 

An hour earlier, the leading Democratic candidate nationally, Bernie Sanders, called Trump ‘petty’ and ‘pathetic’ for traveling to Charleston, South Carolina Friday night for a political rally amid the coronavirus crisis. 

‘He is here in South Carolina for one reason – to disrupt the Democratic primary – that’s why he’s here. He hopes he can get a little media attention taken away from the Democratic candidates,’ said Sanders, who was campaigning in Columbia. 

‘Do your job,’ Sanders yelled Trump’s way.  

Democrats will hold their presidential primary in South Carolina Saturday. 

The GOP presidential primary was cancelled due to Trump’s incumbent status. 

Still, Trump decided to trek to the state Friday night, talking to reporters directly before he left.   

‘The fact is, I made one decision that was a very important decision, and that was to close our country to a certain area of the world that was relatively heavily infected, and because of that we’re talking about 15 who seem to be all getting better, one is questionable,’ the president said, touting his response to the coronavirus threat. ‘Had that decision not be made it could be a much different story.’ 

He said that some people are properly giving him credit for the response. 

‘But the only ones that aren’t, they don’t mean it – it’s political. It’s politics,’ Trump said.   

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