Donald Trump is paying the price for trying to play down the Covid-19 pandemic, according to a senior state-employed Chinese journalist.
Hu Xijin, the editor-in-chief of official state newspaper Global Times and a close ally of Chinese President Xi Jinping, tweeted the response to Trump’s shock announcement that he had tested positive for the bug.Hu is unlikely to have spoken out on such a sensitive subject without being sure of government approval.His full tweet read: “President Trump and the First Lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the COVID-19.“The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation."He continued: "It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his.