At UN, Trump raps China for virus as US deaths hit 200,000

President Donald Trump on Tuesday demanded that the United Nations hold China accountable for the coronavirus pandemic as he defends his own handling of COVID-19 in America where the death toll has reached 200,000.

“We have waged a fierce battle against the invisible enemy – the China virus – which has claimed countless lives in 188 countries,” Trump said in a prerecorded address to the U.N. General Assembly that lasted less than seven minutes.

“As we pursue this bright future, we must hold accountable the nation which unleashed this plague onto the world: China.”

While Trump blames China, he has been harshly criticized for his administration’s track record in battling the coronavirus, now a top issue in his bid for reelection. Democratic opponent Joe Biden claims Trump bungled the response to COVID-19 and is responsible for the U.S. having more deaths than any other nation. Trump encouraged the reopening of U.S. society even as the virus was spreading rapidly and holds campaign rallies where few wear face masks or practice social distancing.