Trump is asked what he wants from governors of Washington state, Michigan, who have criticized federal response: "Very simple. I want them to be appreciative."
Trump says of Pence: "He calls all the governors. I say, 'Mike, Don't call the governor of Washington. You're wasting your time. Don't call the woman in Michigan.' ... If they don't treat you right, I don't call."
Trump on his conversation with China's Xi Jinping: "It was fascinating to me. It's a different kind of world. It's a different form of government, to put it mildly." Says they talked for an hour.
Trump won't call governors of Washington state or Michigan but spoke enthusiastically about his call with Xi Jinping:"Our relationship with China is very good." (China covered up initial reports of coronavirus, its foreign ministry blamed U.S. military for spreading virus.)
Trump: "...this pandemic, this disease, this whatever you want to call it. You can call it a germ, you can call it a flu, you can call it a virus. You can call it many different names. I’m not sure any body really knows what it is."
You can tell when Trump has recently spoken with Xi. As he begins to touts his decision to halt flights from China last month, Trump makes sure to add: "I have great respect for China, I can tell you that."
Reporter: Can everyone who needs a ventilator get one? Trump: “Look, don’t be a cutie-pie, okay?”
Trump spoke for 55 minutes. His first briefing, he read a statement then left. Then, he began fielding questions, while sometimes deferring to staff to answer. Today, when someone asked a more technical question, he said a staffer would answer after he left and continued talking.
