Trump joked about Covid testing slowdown? He denies it while Fauci and Birx call for increase
The White House said Monday that President Donald Trump was speaking only in “jest” when he said at Saturday night’s rally that he told officials to slow down testing for the coronavirus and that he had not actually ordered anyone to do so.
“No, he has not directed that,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in an exchange with ABC News’ Ben Gittleson in Monday’s press briefing and added that “any suggestion that testing has been curtailed is not rooted in fact.”
“It was a comment that he made in jest,” she also said. [Continue reading…]
President Donald Trump on Tuesday insisted he was serious when he revealed that he had directed his administration to slow coronavirus testing in the United States, shattering the defenses of senior White House aides who argued Trump’s remarks were made in jest. [Continue reading…]
Dr. Anthony Fauci said Tuesday that the federal government is trying to expand testing, not slow it down as President Donald Trump has suggested in recent days.
In testimony before the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Fauci was asked about the president’s recent comments and whether he agrees that it makes sense to limit the number of COVID-19 tests.
“It’s the opposite. We’re going to be doing more testing, not less,” said Fauci, the nation’s top infectious diseases expert, who has played a key role in the Trump administration’s response to the pandemic. [Continue reading…]
Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of President Donald Trump’s coronavirus task force, told the nation’s governors in a call Monday that it was vital that they ramp up testing to find asymptomatic individuals to prevent further community spread. [Continue reading…]