‘We have to hit back’: Trump defends rhetoric, name calling as US election race heats up
- US President Donald Trump answered questions in his first TV town hall of the 2020 election race
- He defended his government’s handling of the coronavirus outbreak, urging people to remain calm, saying ‘it’s all going to work out’
Trump, who regularly calls his top Democratic presidential opponents “Sleepy Joe” and “Crazy Bernie”, was asked whether he could deliver his message without the controversial rhetoric. “When they hit us, we have to hit back. I really feel that,” Trump said in response to the first of two questions about civility. “You can’t turn your cheek.”
Fox News, the president’s favourite network, hosted the live event in Scranton, Pennsylvania, a rare instance where the president answered questions from the public.
The first question, from an undecided voter, was about the administration’s response to the virus. The US has reported 12 deaths – 11 in Washington state and one in California.
“Everybody has to be calm. It’s all going to work out,” Trump said, sounding defensive at times as a pair of Fox News journalists pressed him on the issue. “We hope it doesn’t last too long.”