“China will do anything they can to have me lose this race.” – Trump

The U.S. president said Beijing wants its Democratic rival, Joe Biden, to win to alleviate the pressure he has put on the trade and other issues.

WASHINGTON D.C. (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday, April 29 that he believes China’s handling of the coronavirus is proof that China will do anything they can to have his loose his re-election.

In an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office, Trump said he was looking at several alternatives of consequences for China because of the virus. “There’s a lot I can do,” he said.

Trump has blamed China for the global pandemic that has killed at least 60,000 people in the United States, according to a Reuters count, and has driven the U.S. economy into a deep recession, jeopardizing his hopes of winning another four-year term.

The Republican president, who often is accused of not having taken steps in time to prepare the United States for the virus, said he believed China should have been more active and informed the world about the coronavirus sooner.

When asked if he was considering the use of tariffs, Trump did not provide details. “There are many things I can do,” he said. “We’re looking at what happened. China will do everything possible to make me lose this race,” Trump said.

According to Trump, Beijing wants its Democratic rival, Joe Biden, to win the election to ease the pressure he has put on China on trade and other issues.

Trump also said South Korea agreed to pay the United States more money for a defense cooperation agreement.

For his part, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said China poses a threat to the world by hiding information about the origin of the coronavirus, which it allowed to spread to other countries.

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