WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump tried to calm nerves amid the global outbreak of coronavirus while touring the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta on Friday, but the visit took a political turn after he slammed Washington state’s Democratic governor who is grappling with the rapidly growing epidemic.
Trump said he warned Vice President Mike Pence not to trust Gov. Jay Inslee during his Thursday visit to Washington state, which has been among the hardest hit areas across the U.S. with 10 deaths reported so far. Inslee previously ran for the Democratic presidential nominee and has in the past been critical of the president.
“I told Mike not to be complimentary of that governor because that governor is a snake,” he told reporters while donning a “Keep America Great” hat at the CDC in Atlanta. “We have a lot of problems with the governor.”