Nancy Pelosi calls out Donald Trump for 'name-calling' amid coronavirus crisis

Speaker pledges 'wholehearted support' to Bernie Sanders if he wins Democratic presidential nomination

Speaker Nancy Pelosi called out Donald Trump for resorting to "name-calling" over his administration's response to the Coronavirus, and said an agreement on an emergency spending package to combat the virus is "close."

During a rare White House news conference on Wednesday night, the president slammed Ms Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer for criticising his administration's response. The next day, the speaker called for both parties to work together.

"I think she's incompetent. She's not leading the country," Mr Trump said Wednesday night. "She's trying to create a panic. And there's no reason to panic."

During her weekly press conference the next morning, she said the unpredictable virus means now is "not a time for name-calling or playing politics," calling on all parties involved in talks about the government's response and a likely emergency spending package to finance work on a potential vaccine and other countermeasures to bring about an agreement to ensure the country has the "resources needed to combat this deadly virus."

Her comments came after the GOP president accused she and Mr Schumer of using the Coronavirus and his response to "get a political advantage."

"This isn't about political advantage. We are all trying to do the right thing. They shouldn't be saying, 'This is terrible. President Trump isn't asking for enough money,'" he said.

"How stupid a thing to say. If they want to give us more money, that's okay. We will take more money," Mr Trump told reporters. "Some Republicans think we should have more money, too. That's okay. We will take more money."

Mr Trump also tried to pin a US and global stock market drop amid virus concerns on the slate of Democratic presidential candidates, saying during their debates they are "making fools out of themselves" -- and giving markets jitters about their potential presidencies.

But Ms Pelosi noted the markets dropped during normal trading hours, which end in the US at 4 p.m. The 10th Democratic debate on Tuesday night started hours after American markets closed.

What's more, they were down sharply again Wednesday before Mr Trump and his top health officials contradicted one another about the virus's threat inside the United States while taking turns at the briefing room podium.

Ms Pelosi appeared to suggest Mr Trump was purposely misleading the American public about the recent market downturn, saying, "It really has to make you wonder.

Meantime, the speaker sought to downplay scuttlebutt in Washington that the party's senior congressional leaders are concerned about Senator Bernie Sanders capturing the Democratic presidential nomination. Some have suggested they are concerned the self-described "democratic-socialist" might do permanent damage to the party's brand – maybe even costing them their House majority that Ms Pelosi and others see as a check on Mr Trump's growing power and growing willingness to use it. No matter who wins the party's nomination, the speaker said, that candidate will have "our wholehearted support."