US President Donald Trump has been questioned by voters on his coronavirus response at a town hall meeting in Pennsylvania.
Asked by one uncommitted Pennsylvania voter why he had played down a pandemic that was known to endanger low-income families and minority communities, he claimed he had done the opposite.
“I didn’t downplay it. In many ways I up-played it in terms of action,” Trump said at the event, which was sponsored by ABC News.
“You do not admit to it yourself?” the voter, Ajani Powell, interrupted.
Trump continued, “Yeah, because what I did is with China, I put a ban on. With Europe, I put a ban on and we would have lost thousands of more people had I not put the ban on. So, that was called action. Not with the mouth but in actual fact.”
He also said a vaccine would probably be available soon. “We’re very close to having a vaccine,” he told the audience. “We’re within weeks of getting it you know could be three weeks, four weeks.”
