After the first cases appeared in Washington in January, the president insisted that the US had "pretty much shut [coronavirus] down" and said "it's going to be fine".
Nearly a month later, he claimed that cases were "going substantially down, not up" just days before he number of confirmed infections reached 1,000.
In late February, he claimed the virus "would disappear" as US infections reached 4,000, then slammed reports of the outbreak as part of a "hoax".
By the time the Covid-19 spread had been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with nearly 14,000 cases confirmed in the US, forcing the president to declare a national emergency, he said he had "always known" about the threat.
Nearly a month later, he claimed that cases were "going substantially down, not up" just days before he number of confirmed infections reached 1,000.
In late February, he claimed the virus "would disappear" as US infections reached 4,000, then slammed reports of the outbreak as part of a "hoax".
By the time the Covid-19 spread had been declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization, with nearly 14,000 cases confirmed in the US, forcing the president to declare a national emergency, he said he had "always known" about the threat.