At CDC, Trump is flanked by AZAR and REDFIELD — two officials facing most scrutiny over coronavirus response.
TRUMP: Doctor, do you want to make a little statement?
REDFIELD: First I want to thank you, for your decisive leadership…that's the most important thing I want to say.
TRUMP: Doctor, do you want to make a little statement?
REDFIELD: First I want to thank you, for your decisive leadership…that's the most important thing I want to say.
Answering question about coronavirus response, Trump detours into discussing Fox News town hall ratings.
AZAR tries to explain that more tests are coming, but Trump waves him off to jump in.
TRUMP: “Anybody that needs a test gets a test…. the tests are all perfect like the letter was perfect. The transcription was perfect. Right? This was not as perfect as that but pretty good.”
TRUMP: “Anybody that needs a test gets a test…. the tests are all perfect like the letter was perfect. The transcription was perfect. Right? This was not as perfect as that but pretty good.”
Trump muses that he could’ve become a research scientist instead of president.
TRUMP: I like this stuff. I really get it… every one of these doctors said, ‘how do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability.
TRUMP: I like this stuff. I really get it… every one of these doctors said, ‘how do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability.
Telling moment earlier, when asked about coronavirus test availability.
AZAR: You won’t believe me, why don’t you talk to Dr Redfield.
REDFIELD: We’ve now shipped out… enough to test 75,000 people at the public health labs now.
TRUMP: Anybody who wants a test can get a test.
AZAR: You won’t believe me, why don’t you talk to Dr Redfield.
REDFIELD: We’ve now shipped out… enough to test 75,000 people at the public health labs now.
TRUMP: Anybody who wants a test can get a test.
Trump’s claim that “anybody who wants a test can get a test” is false.
My colleague @davidalim, who broke the initial story of CDC test problems, reports tonight that Trump admin is running well behind its target for tests that can be run. politico.com/news/2020/03/0…
My colleague @davidalim, who broke the initial story of CDC test problems, reports tonight that Trump admin is running well behind its target for tests that can be run. politico.com/news/2020/03/0…
Also: for those just discovering Robert Redfield, here’s our piece about his background and the missteps at CDC — written 10 days ago, before the first unexplained coronavirus cases in US were reported.
