Obama to mayors on coronavirus: The biggest mistake leaders 'can make in these situations is to misinform'

Obama was speaking during a virtual meeting organized by Bloomberg Philanthropies.

"Speak the truth. Speak it clearly. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy for what folks are going through," Obama said, according to a press release on the virtual meeting.

Obama also pushed the mayors to bring in as many smart advisers and experts as possible.

"The more smart people you have around you, and the less embarrassed you are to ask questions, the better your response is going to be," Obama said.

This is the fourth virtual meeting Bloomberg's group has held with mayors. Two of the previous meetings have featured speeches by former Presidents George W. Bush and Bill Clinton.

This is a breaking story and will be updated.