Trump told a reporter who asked about the HHS IG report that hospitals lack coronavirus testing that her question was horrid, and she should be complimenting him.
Trump said:
Hospitals can do their own testing also. States do their own testing. States are supposed to be doing testing. Hospitals are supposed to be doing testing. Do you understand that? We’re the federal government, listen, we’re the federal government. We’re not supposed to stand on street corners doing testing. They go to doctors and hospitals, they go to the state. The state is a more localized government. You have 50 of them. And they can go — you also have territories as you know. And they do the testing. And if you look at the chart, if you take a look — did they put it up? Just take a look.
These are testing, and the results are now coming in very quickly. Initially speaking, the tests were old, obsolete, and not really prepared. We have a brand new testing system that we developed very quickly. And that’s your result. And you should say congratulations, great job instead of being so horrid in the way you ask a question.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
Video:
Trump falls apart and attacks a reporter for not telling him he's doing a great job on coronavirus testing. pic.twitter.com/ldVidIOBT5
— Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 6, 2020
One could tell that Trump was about to blow when he started sighing as the reporter asked about testing. Trump is also claiming that the HHS IG report that hospitals are lacking testing and medical supplies is a political plot against him.
Trump thinks that he can make up his own numbers and no one will check, because that is what he has always done, but people can see the lack of testing and equipment in their own cities and towns. It isn’t something that Trump can lie his way out of.
Donald Trump is demanding praise for failure, and he attacks reporters who dare to tell him the truth and not compliment his ineptitude that is killing thousands of Americans each day.
For more discussion about this story join our Rachel Maddow and MSNBC group.
Follow Jason Easley on Facebook
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
