Trump news: President disagrees with official CDC warning in rambling coronavirus conference as he puts Pence in charge

Trump official wrongly says coronavirus rate similar to flu

Donald Trump has downplayed the possibility of a widespread outbreak of the coronavirus inside the United States, calling the risk "low" a day and appearing to disagree with his top health officials who have said it is a matter of when, not if, the country sees serious illnesses.

"No, I dont think it's inevitable. It probably will, It possibly will," he said. "This will end. ... Nothing's inevitable."

He said he was putting vice president Mike Pence in charge of overseeing efforts to protect Americans from the deadly virus, which has killed thousands of people – particularly in China – although there have been no fatalities in the US.

Please allow a moment for our blog to load

Key Points

• Trump 'considering coronavirus czar' after criticism of weak response to crisis
• White House appoints 23-year-old student to top role
• President leaves India after being shielded from violent anti-Muslim riots
• Bernie Sanders, Michael Bloomberg under fire on debate stage
• Roger Stone judge calls out 'harassment' of jurors as Trump launches fresh attack

[26 February 2020 20:42 · Clark Mindock]

Trump weighs in on Nancy Pelosi's home district

He and her are known to have a pretty fraught relationship:

[26 February 2020 21:27 · Clark Mindock]

Something of a throwback with this observation:

[26 February 2020 22:00 · Clark Mindock]

Pelosi is fine with Sanders

Nancy Pelosi has weighed in on the Democratic nomination with a simple one-word answer to whether she would be comfortable with Bernie Sanders at the top of her party's ticket: "Yes".

The comment comes amid heightened fears among establishment Democrats surrounding Sanders and his campaign, with many of his detractors claiming that it is dangerous that he calls himself a "democratic socialist".

Senator Chuck Schumer, who leads democrats in the Senate, has also held his fire:

"Look, the bottom line is very simple," he said on Tuesday when asked about Sanders praising former Cuban leader Fidel Castro for his literacy program. "We have a lot of strong nominees. ... I'm not supporting one over the other, but I think every one of them will beat president Trump."

[26 February 2020 22:30 · Clark Mindock]

Maps of coronavirus Trump is about to speak about

Trump is set to discuss coronavirus in roughly one hour. Here's where the virus can be found:

[26 February 2020 23:00 · Clark Mindock]

Some reassuring words from the secretary of Health and Human Services

And, yes, we're being sarcastic there:

[26 February 2020 23:16 · Lucy Anna Gray]

Trump to make a statement about coronavirus 

The president will hold a news conference at the White House about the coronavirus imminently. You can follow a live stream of it here.

[26 February 2020 23:35 · Phil Thomas]

Health officials have filed into the briefing room ahead of President Trump's expected statement on coronavirus.

[26 February 2020 23:38 · Phil Thomas]

Mr Trump begins by sending his condolences to victims and families of people affected by the mass shooting in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, earlier in the day. He says five people were killed.

[26 February 2020 23:38 · Phil Thomas]

Turning to coronavirus, he says he has received a new briefing. He says some of his measures were ridiculed but "it turned out to be a very good thing".

[26 February 2020 23:39 · Phil Thomas]

The "health and safety of the American people" is his priority. "We're ready to adapt and do whatever we have to as the disease spreads."