https://www.snopes.com/fact-check/trump-coronavirus-rally-remark/
Did President Trump Refer to the Coronavirus as a ‘Hoax’?
Claim
U.S. President Donald Trump referred to the new coronavirus as a "hoax."
Rating
Mixture
About this rating
What's True
During a Feb. 28, 2020, campaign rally in South Carolina, President Donald Trump likened the Democrats' criticism of his administration's response to the new coronavirus outbreak to their efforts to impeach him, saying "this is their new hoax." During the speech he also seemed to downplay the severity of the outbreak, comparing it to the common flu.
What's False
Despite creating some confusion with his remarks, Trump did not call the coronavirus itself a hoax.