During a White House Coronavirus Press Briefing, Donald Trump listens to officials explain science we already know: sunlight and common cleaning supplies can kill most viruses. But when it’s his turn to speak, the President of the United States tells the whole country that injecting those disinfectants could stop COVID-19 infections.
I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute! And is there a way we can do something, by an injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that. So, that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me.
Donald J. Trump
Trump asks doctors to look into it. Dr. Deborah Birx, a mixed expression of grief and horror covering her face, sits there and says nothing.
The next day, Trump claims his comments were sarcastic remarks to reporters despite very obviously asking his doctors to do further research on the subject. Even Fox News, usually a propaganda outlet for the Trump White House, states that Trump’s sarcasm-at-reporters defense can’t be true because he was “urging them to launch a study.”
Within 24 hours of his “injection” suggestion, calls to poison control centers spike across the country and even double in some states. In New York City, there are 30 cases of Americans drinking bleach and other cleaning supplies within 18 hours of the press briefing. Last year, cases in that timeframe never went above 13 exposures.
External Sources
Foreground Photo: Public Domain
Background Photo: Alex Brandon/AP