WASHINGTON (BLOOMBERG) - President Donald Trump again suggested China is responsible for the global coronavirus outbreak, complaining at a news conference that the disease "could have been stopped" before it spread globally.

"If people would have known about it, it could have been stopped in place," Trump said at a White House news conference on Thursday (March 19).

"It could have been stopped right where it came from, China, if we would have known about it, if they would have known about...But now the whole world, almost, is inflicted with this horrible virus," Trump said.

As he opened his news conference, Trump again called the disease the "Chinese virus," a term that officials in Beijing have said is offensive.

His use of the word "inflicted" also echoed a Republican senator, Tom Cotton of Arkansas, who has said that Beijing should be held accountable for the outbreak.

In prepared notes for the Thursday news conference, Trump crossed out "corona" in the word "coronavirus" and wrote "Chinese" above it in black marker, according to a photo posted on Twitter by a Washington Post photographer..