SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
As a new COVID-19 test kit developed by Abbott Labs is placed on a table, President Donald Trump speaks during the daily coronavirus briefing at the Rose Garden of the White House on March 30, 2020 in Washington, D.C. (Photo: Win McNamee/Getty Images)
"I Haven't Heard About Testing in Weeks": In Leaked Audio, Trump Dismisses Governors' Concerns About Lack of Coronavirus Equipment
"It would be shocking to me that... anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks, or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits."
Mar 31, 2020
In a conference call with governors on Monday, President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about shortages of coronavirus testing equipment in states across the nation, claiming he "hasn't heard about testing being a problem" despite loud warnings from local officials and near-constant reporting on the issue by media outlets.
"I haven't heard about testing in weeks," the president said, according to leaked audio of the call obtained by CBS News. "We've tested more now than any nation in the world. We've got these great tests and we come out with another one tomorrow that's, you know, almost instantaneous testing. But I haven't heard about testing being a problem."
Trump's remarks came after Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said on the call that his state doesn't "have enough supplies to even do the testing" for coronavirus, which has officially infected more than 163,000 people in the United States.
"Literally we are one day away, if we don't get test kits from the CDC, that we wouldn't be able to do testing in Montana," said Bullock.
Listen to the audio clip:
\u201cCBS News obtained audio of a call Monday between Pres. Trump and rural state governors about coronavirus. After Montana Gov. Steve Bullock discusses difficulty getting testing equipment, Trump says, "I haven't heard anything about testing being a problem" https://t.co/ScO2YbKZAq\u201d— CBS News (@CBS News) 1585609280
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told the New York Times that he was stunned by the president's remarks.
"It would be shocking to me that... anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks, or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits," Inslee said, noting his state is in "dire" need of equipment. "I can be assured that the White House knows very well about this desperate need for test kits."
Trump has repeatedly ignored or brushed aside warnings from frontline workers and local officials about shortages of of testing kits and other medical equipment as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the United States.
During a press briefing Monday evening, Trump lashed out at PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor after she pressed the president on why, despite his frequent claims to the contrary, the United States continues to lag behind other major nations in coronavirus testing per capita.
"You should be saying congratulations instead of asking a really snarky question," Trump said.
Watch:
\u201cWATCH: President Trump tells @Yamiche that she should be saying "congratulations" to those administering testing for coronavirus instead of asking when the U.S. will be able to test as many people per capita as other countries.\u201d— PBS NewsHour (@PBS NewsHour) 1585611309
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
In a conference call with governors on Monday, President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about shortages of coronavirus testing equipment in states across the nation, claiming he "hasn't heard about testing being a problem" despite loud warnings from local officials and near-constant reporting on the issue by media outlets.
"I haven't heard about testing in weeks," the president said, according to leaked audio of the call obtained by CBS News. "We've tested more now than any nation in the world. We've got these great tests and we come out with another one tomorrow that's, you know, almost instantaneous testing. But I haven't heard about testing being a problem."
Trump's remarks came after Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said on the call that his state doesn't "have enough supplies to even do the testing" for coronavirus, which has officially infected more than 163,000 people in the United States.
"Literally we are one day away, if we don't get test kits from the CDC, that we wouldn't be able to do testing in Montana," said Bullock.
Listen to the audio clip:
\u201cCBS News obtained audio of a call Monday between Pres. Trump and rural state governors about coronavirus. After Montana Gov. Steve Bullock discusses difficulty getting testing equipment, Trump says, "I haven't heard anything about testing being a problem" https://t.co/ScO2YbKZAq\u201d— CBS News (@CBS News) 1585609280
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told the New York Times that he was stunned by the president's remarks.
"It would be shocking to me that... anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks, or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits," Inslee said, noting his state is in "dire" need of equipment. "I can be assured that the White House knows very well about this desperate need for test kits."
Trump has repeatedly ignored or brushed aside warnings from frontline workers and local officials about shortages of of testing kits and other medical equipment as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the United States.
During a press briefing Monday evening, Trump lashed out at PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor after she pressed the president on why, despite his frequent claims to the contrary, the United States continues to lag behind other major nations in coronavirus testing per capita.
"You should be saying congratulations instead of asking a really snarky question," Trump said.
Watch:
\u201cWATCH: President Trump tells @Yamiche that she should be saying "congratulations" to those administering testing for coronavirus instead of asking when the U.S. will be able to test as many people per capita as other countries.\u201d— PBS NewsHour (@PBS NewsHour) 1585611309
In a conference call with governors on Monday, President Donald Trump dismissed concerns about shortages of coronavirus testing equipment in states across the nation, claiming he "hasn't heard about testing being a problem" despite loud warnings from local officials and near-constant reporting on the issue by media outlets.
"I haven't heard about testing in weeks," the president said, according to leaked audio of the call obtained by CBS News. "We've tested more now than any nation in the world. We've got these great tests and we come out with another one tomorrow that's, you know, almost instantaneous testing. But I haven't heard about testing being a problem."
Trump's remarks came after Montana Gov. Steve Bullock said on the call that his state doesn't "have enough supplies to even do the testing" for coronavirus, which has officially infected more than 163,000 people in the United States.
"Literally we are one day away, if we don't get test kits from the CDC, that we wouldn't be able to do testing in Montana," said Bullock.
Listen to the audio clip:
\u201cCBS News obtained audio of a call Monday between Pres. Trump and rural state governors about coronavirus. After Montana Gov. Steve Bullock discusses difficulty getting testing equipment, Trump says, "I haven't heard anything about testing being a problem" https://t.co/ScO2YbKZAq\u201d— CBS News (@CBS News) 1585609280
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee told the New York Times that he was stunned by the president's remarks.
"It would be shocking to me that... anyone who has had access to any newspaper, radio, social networks, or any other communication would not be knowledgeable about the need for test kits," Inslee said, noting his state is in "dire" need of equipment. "I can be assured that the White House knows very well about this desperate need for test kits."
Trump has repeatedly ignored or brushed aside warnings from frontline workers and local officials about shortages of of testing kits and other medical equipment as the coronavirus continues to spread rapidly across the United States.
During a press briefing Monday evening, Trump lashed out at PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor after she pressed the president on why, despite his frequent claims to the contrary, the United States continues to lag behind other major nations in coronavirus testing per capita.
"You should be saying congratulations instead of asking a really snarky question," Trump said.
Watch:
\u201cWATCH: President Trump tells @Yamiche that she should be saying "congratulations" to those administering testing for coronavirus instead of asking when the U.S. will be able to test as many people per capita as other countries.\u201d— PBS NewsHour (@PBS NewsHour) 1585611309
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.