Trump, Definitely Not A Doctor
April 23, 2020
In his latest briefing, Trump, who ignores the experts and is not a doctor or public health expert, repeatedly contradicted public health officials and offered unsound medical advice.
Trump suggested injecting disinfectant into people and bringing light inside the body to get rid of coronavirus.
TRUMP: “And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. And is there a way we can do something, by an injection inside or almost a cleaning? It would be interesting to check that. That you’re gonna have to use medical doctors with.”
CNN’s Abby Phillip: “Wow Trump just suggested getting rid of coronavirus by bringing ‘light inside the body’ … ‘either through the skin or in some other way’ or using disinfectant: ‘is there a way you can do something like that by injection or some other way.’”
Trump admitted he was not a doctor and was then contradicted by a doctor after he continued to push sunlight as a coronavirus treatment.
Washington Post’s Josh Dawsey: “‘I’m not a doctor but I’m a person who has a good you know what,’ Trump says, seeming to point to his brain.”
MSNBC’s Kelly O’Donnell: “‘Not as a treatment’ Dr Birx does not join in as the president opines without evidence that doctors should look at using light and heat on the body to see if it helps covid patients.”
Trump contradicted one of our nation’s top doctors, who said we were not yet at the testing capacity necessary, and then lied about testing.
CNN’s Jim Acosta: “Trump on Fauci comments to Time that testing is not where it needs to be: ‘If he said that I don’t agree with him.’”
VOA’s Steve Herman: “Replying to @weijia asking about Dr. Fauci’s comment that US testing capacity isn’t yet adequate, @POTUS says ‘we’ve done more testing than every other nation combined.’”
Trump contradicted experts and then immediately contradicted himself by falsely claiming that we’re very close to a vaccine.
PBS NewsHour’s Yamiche Alcindor: “President Trump: ‘We’re very close to a vaccine.’ Fact check: Dr. Fauci has repeatedly said that a vaccine will take a year or more to development and to distribute to Americans. This is a misleading statement by President Trump.”
CNN’s Daniel Dale: “Trump says ‘we’re very close to a vaccine,’ then immediately says we’re not very close on the testing of the vaccine, because you have to test it and it takes a long time. (Uhh…) (Fauci has floated a 12-to-18-month timeline; many are skeptical even it’ll be that fast.)”