California's Democrat Governor Praises Trump's Response to Coronavirus on Cruise Ship: 'Every Single Thing he Said They Followed Through On'

California's Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom praised President Donald Trump on Monday for supporting his state as it assisted with the repatriation of passengers from the coronavirus-infected Grand Princess cruise ship.

Trump and his administration have faced criticism for their response to the coronavirus. But Newsom, who declared a state of emergency in California last Wednesday, shared positive remarks about the way the president had responded and supported the West Coast state as it allowed the Grand Princess, which had 21 infected passengers aboard, to dock in Oakland.

"We had a private conversation, but he said, 'We're gonna do the right thing' and 'You have my support, all of our support, logistically and otherwise,'" Newsom told reporters at a Monday news conference.

"He said everything I could have hoped for," the governor asserted. "And we had a very long conversation and every single thing he said, they followed through on," he noted.

"Every single thing... has been consistent with expectation we'd repatriate these passengers and do it in a way that does justice to the spirit that defines the best of our country," the governor said.

Newsom said that he has received "consistent" support from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, who is leading the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak.

Democratic opponents have questioned the administration's handling of the virus. At a rally in February, Trump said that Democrats' criticism of his administration's response to the virus was a "hoax." The president also later questioned health experts on why the virus couldn't be treated with an ordinary flu shot, and suggested that people with COVID-19 could still go to work during an interview with Fox News.

Even some Republicans have urged Trump to follow the advice of health experts and avoid sharing information not supported by science.

"I listen to the scientists when it comes to the numbers, and I would encourage the president if he's going to report things to make sure the science is behind what he's saying," GOP Senator Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who generally defends the president, told reporters on Thursday.

Trump himself has repeatedly pushed back against critics, arguing that the media and Democrats are unfairly attacking his administration's response to coronavirus.

"The Fake News Media and their partner, the Democrat Party, is doing everything within its semi-considerable power (it used to be greater!) to inflame the CoronaVirus situation, far beyond what the facts would warrant," he tweeted on Monday morning.

More than 100,000 people have been infected by coronavirus globally, with the majority of those cases being in China, where the virus was first discovered. The World Health Organization officially puts the death toll from confirmed cases at 3.4 percent.

But health experts have estimated that the overall death rate may be 2 percent or less, noting that many cases go untested and are not confirmed. Symptoms are mild for many individuals, meaning they may never even realize they've contracted COVID-19.

According to the available data, those under 30 have a significantly lower chance of dying from the virus, while the death rate increases among the elderly. Those with pre-existing health conditions – such as heart disease, diabetes and respiratory problems – appear to be at greater risk of facing serious complications from the virus.

Correction: This article and headline has been updated to clarify that Governor Newsom was specifically referring to the support from the White House regarding the docking of the Grand Princess cruise ship. This article was also corrected to say that Trump called Democrats' criticism of the administration's handing of the virus a hoax, not that the virus itself was a hoax.