Trump claims China “will do anything they can” to hurt reelection bid

Washington — President Trump believes the coronavirus pandemic, which originated in Wuhan, China, is evidence of the great lengths Beijing will go for him to lose the presidential election in November. 

In an interview with Reuters on Wednesday, Mr. Trump said China wants Joe Biden, the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee, to defeat him in the upcoming election.

“China will do anything they can to have me lose this race,” the president told the news agency.

The Chinese government, he added, is “constantly using public relations to try to make it like they’re innocent parties.”

Mr. Trump and top administration officials have blamed China for its handling of the coronavirus, of which there have been more than 3.2 million confirmed cases worldwide and more than 220,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University. The outbreak originated in Wuhan, but has since spread to nearly every country on Earth.

The president has said Beijing should have done more to warn the world of the coronavirus and told Reuters he “can do a lot” regarding consequences for China.

“There are many things I can do,” he said. “We’re looking for what happened.”

The Trump administration is investigating the origins of the coronavirus outbreak, including whether it was the result of a lab accident. Chinese public health officials first tied the disease to a wet market in Wuhan, but concerns have since been raised about its origins as several infectious disease research facilities are located in Wuhan.

Mr. Trump told reporters earlier this month the U.S. is “doing a very thorough examination” of how the outbreak began.