President Trump abruptly ended his Rose Garden news conference shortly after a Chinese-American reporter pressed him on why he suggested she “ask China” in response to her question on virus death rates.

Weijia Jiang, a White House correspondent for CBS News, asked Trump why he had created a “global competition” by claiming that the US had done far better than any other country on testing its citizens for the virus.

“Why does that matter,” Jiang asked, “if every day Americans are still losing their lives and we’re still seeing more cases every day?”

“Well,” Trump responded, “they’re losing their lives everywhere in the world, and maybe that’s a question you should ask China.”

Jiang, who had been leaning into a contact-free microphone to ask her question, lowered her face mask and paused for a couple seconds before asking, “Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically?”

Kaitlan Collins of CNN tried to ask Trump a question after briefly ceding her turn at the microphone to let Jiang follow up, but Trump tried to move on.

After Collins remained at the microphone and twice tried to ask her question, Trump abruptly ended his news conference and left the Rose Garden.

Trump has frequently accused female journalists of asking “nasty” questions and not showing enough deference to the rosy pictures he has tried to paint about his pandemic response efforts.

Fauci, senator clash

Dr Anthony Fauci clashed with a senator on Tuesday about when to reopen US schools, admitting he did not have the final word on pandemic-related decisions but warning against being “cavalier” about the danger to children. “As much as I respect you, Dr Fauci, I don’t think you’re the end-all,” Senator Rand Paul said during the expert’s testimony to a US Senate committee.