Trump, who has previously called the coronavirus 'a hoax' and compared it to the flu, now says he's 'always viewed it as very serious'

REUTERS/Leah Millis

• At a White House briefing Tuedsay, Trump claimed that he had always taken the threat of coronavirus seriously.
• In the past, Trump has called the coronavirus a "hoax" used by Democrats to try to hurt him politically, and inaccurately compared it to the flu.
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At a Tuesday press conference dedicated to the government's coronavirus response, President Donald Trump claimed that he's "always viewed it as very serious."

Trump's response was prompted by a question from NBC News' Kristen Welker, who asked about whether his tone on coronavirus had shifted to a more "somber" one.

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