US President Donald Trump warned on Tuesday that the “nasty horrible’” coronavirus will get worse in the U.S. before it gets better, but he also tried to paint a rosy picture of efforts to conquer the disease that has claimed more than 140,000 American lives in just five months.

He also professed a newfound respect for the protective face masks he has seldom worn. He pulled one from his pocket in the White House briefing room but did not put it on.

After a three-month hiatus from his freewheeling daily virus briefings, Trump returned to the podium, keeping the stage to himself without the public health experts who were staples of his previous events but keeping close to scripted remarks prepared by aides.

Besides declaring support for masks as a way to fight the pandemic, he admonished young people against crowding bars and spreading the disease.

It all marked a delayed recognition by Trump that the economic reopening he’s been championing since April — and, more importantly, his reelection — were imperiled by spiking cases nationwide.

There were no guarantees how long Trump’s more measured tone, delivered with an eye to halting a campaign-season erosion of support, would last. Along the way Tuesday, the president still worked in jabs at the news media and Democrats for focusing on disease-fighting shortcomings in the U.S. as the rest of world also struggles with the virus. He also belatedly addressed bipartisan criticism of virus-testing delays that have hampered reopening plans.

“It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better,” Trump said from the White House. But he also touted a reduction in deaths and progress on vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus, which he referred to repeatedly as the “China virus.” He continued his recent encouragement of Americans to wear masks when social distancing is not possible.

“Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact,” he said. “I’m getting used to the mask,” he added, pulling one out after months of suggesting that mask-wearing was a political statement against him.-AP

US President Donald Trump speaks of a reduction in deaths and progress on vaccines and treatments for the coronavirus, which he refers to as the 'China virus.'

Trump concedes 'China virus' will 'unfortunately get worse'