Trump claims China wants him to lose re-election

Donald Trump has claimed that China’s handling of the corona virus is proof that Beijing “will do anything they can” to make him lose his re-election bid November.

In an interview with Reuters in the Oval Office, Trump talked tough on China and said he was looking at different options in terms of consequences for Beijing over the virus. “I can do a lot,” he said.

For the first time, Trump linked Beijing to his re-election chances in November. The Republican president said he believes Beijing wants his likely Democratic challenger Joe Biden to win in November’s election.

Trump has been heaping blame on China for a global pandemic that has killed at least 60,000 people in the United States according to a Reuters tally, and thrown the U.S. economy into a deep recession, putting in jeopardy his hopes for another four year term.

“China will do everything in its power to defeat me in this election,” Trump said.

Trump also said he is skeptical of data indicating Biden would win. “I don’t believe the polls,” the president said. “I believe the people of this country are smart. And I don’t think that they will put a man in who’s incompetent.”