Trump Questions Briefings After Media Runs with Disinfectant Comment: 'Not Worth the Time'
President Donald Trump’s frustration with the media boiled over Saturday as he tweeted that the daily coronavirus task force briefings might no longer be worth having as long as the media distorts what is said during them.
“What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!” Trump wrote.
What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 25, 2020
No briefing was held Saturday. Axios has reported that the White House may stop holding daily briefings, which began in early March and have taken place every day except for Easter, or continue the briefings with limited appearances from the president.
Trump’s eruption followed widespread media reporting that Trump urged Americans to inject themselves with disinfectant to fight the coronavirus.
According to a video of the briefing on YouTube, the actual course of events at the briefing began when Bill Bryan of the Department of Homeland Security, who oversees science and technology for DHS, was speaking about the effect of temperature and sunlight on the virus.
Later in his presentation, he brought up the subject of disinfectants.
“We’re also testing disinfectants readily available. We’ve tested bleach, we’ve tested isopropyl alcohol on the virus specifically in saliva or in respiratory fluids and I can tell you that bleach will kill the virus in five minutes. Isopropyl alcohol will kill the virus in 30 seconds and that’s with no manipulation, no rubbing. Just bring it on and leaving it go. You rub it and it goes away even faster,” Bryan said, about the 25:20 mark.
“We’re also looking at other disinfectants, specifically looking at the COVID-19 virus in saliva,” he said.
Trump then commented on what Bryan had just presented.
“So, supposedly when we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said that hasn’t been checked, but you’re going to test it. And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you’re going to test that too. Sounds interesting, right?” Trump said.
“And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that so that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me,” Trump said.
During Thursday’s briefing, the question of injection was raised. Bryan said no scenario about injection was under consideration.
“It wouldn’t be through injections,” Trump said about the 30:45 mark, referencing “almost a cleaning and sterilization of an area. Maybe it works, maybe it doesn’t work, but it certainly has a big effect if it’s on a stationary object.”
White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany issued a statement Friday blasting the media.
“President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing,” the statement said, according to The Hill.
“Leave it to the media to irresponsibly take President Trump out of context and run with negative headlines.”
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