Sign up for our daily briefing
Make your busy days simpler with Axios AM/PM. Catch up on what's new and why it matters in just 5 minutes.
Catch up on the day's biggest business stories
Subscribe to Axios Closer for insights into the day’s business news and trends and why they matter
Stay on top of the latest market trends
Subscribe to Axios Markets for the latest market trends and economic insights. Sign up for free.
Sports news worthy of your time
Binge on the stats and stories that drive the sports world with Axios Sports. Sign up for free.
Tech news worthy of your time
Get our smart take on technology from the Valley and D.C. with Axios Login. Sign up for free.
Get the inside stories
Get an insider's guide to the new White House with Axios Sneak Peek. Sign up for free.
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Catch up on coronavirus stories and special reports, curated by Mike Allen everyday
Want a daily digest of the top Denver news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Denver
Want a daily digest of the top Des Moines news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Des Moines
Want a daily digest of the top Twin Cities news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Twin Cities
Want a daily digest of the top Tampa Bay news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Tampa Bay
Want a daily digest of the top Charlotte news?
Get a daily digest of the most important stories affecting your hometown with Axios Charlotte
Sign up for Axios NW Arkansas
Stay up-to-date on the most important and interesting stories affecting NW Arkansas, authored by local reporters
President Trump said at a White House briefing Thursday that his administration was prepared for the coronavirus outbreak, but the "only thing" it wasn't prepared for was the media's response.
The state of play: Hospitals, state officials and local officials are already warning the federal government about key shortages they might face as the outbreak deepens.
- Labs will need more of some key ingredients for diagnostic tests, including RNA-extraction kits, reagents and swabs.
- Ventilators to help patients breathe are also in short supply. The U.S. has about 62,000 and only a limited ability to tap other supplies.
What Trump said: "The only thing we weren't prepared for was the media. The media has not treated it fairly. ... I called for a ban for people coming in from China."
- "In fact, it was [NBC News], I believe, they called me a racist because I did that. It was many of the people in the room they called me racist and other words because I did that. Because I went so early."
- "So, when you say that I wasn't prepared, I was the first one to do the ban. Now many other countries are following what I did. But the media doesn't acknowledge that. They know it's true, but they don't want to write about it."
He continued bashing the media after a reporter from far-right One America News asked him if he considered the phrase "Chinese food" racist and alleged without evidence that mainstream media outlets parrot Chinese Communist Party propaganda.
- "They are siding with China. They are doing things they shouldn't be doing. They are siding with many others. China is the least of it."
The big picture: Trump and other Republican politicians and media personalities have faced backlash in recent days for referring to the coronavirus as the "Chinese virus" or "Wuhan virus."
- This is in opposition to guidance from the World Health Organization, which requested last month that the epidemic be referred to as coronavirus or COVID-19, rather than terms that could stigmatize individuals with Chinese ancestry.
Go deeper... Coronavirus updates: Surge of American workers file for unemployment