They called me, they said, the job you’re doing … Here’s the bad part. When you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases. So I said to my people slow the testing down, please.
On Sunday, Trump economic adviser Peter Navarro told CNN's Jake Tapper the President made the comment "in jest" and was "a light-hearted moment". Because nothing says light-hearted like the deaths of nearly 120,000 Americans since early February.
Yesterday, during the daily press briefing, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany echoed Navarro's sentiment that Trump's comments were "in jest" adding that the President was "joking about the media and their failure to understand the fact that when you test more you also find more cases." Yet Trump made no mention about the media when he spoke of COVID-19.
That and President Trump wasn't joking. At least that's what he told reporters this morning when he was asked about slowing down testing as he was set to depart for Phoenix for this evening's rally. Trump said, “I don’t kid. Let me just tell you. Let me make it clear.”
Now that we have established that Trump wasn't kidding about slowing down COVID-19 testing we must ask the next logical question. When did Trump order COVID-19 testing to be slowed down?
Was it in early March when he erroneously claimed during his visit to the CDC, "Anyone who wants gets a test?"
Was this in mid-April when he erroneously claimed he had "total authority" over state governors?
Or did this take place when Trump's home state of Florida began reporting 1,000 cases a day?
I can only hope we have an answer by the time Trump gets to Phoenix because any slow down in testing displays a reckless disregard for human life.
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