Trump clarifies he was not joking about asking staff to 'slow down' coronavirus testing

US President Donald Trump has clarified that he was not joking when he told the rally visitors in Tulsa that he asked his staff to slow down on coronavirus testing. Trump said, “I don’t kid” to a reporter on June 22 after senior members of his own administration had claimed that the US President was kidding and the comment was made in jest. Donald Trump had said on June 20 in Oklahoma at his first rally since the COVID-19 pandemic that he asked his staff to “slow the testing down, please” because more testing of the novel coronavirus leads to more number of cases in the country and “it sounds bad”. 

Trump even called coronavirus testing a “double-edged sword” when the US has already recorded over 2.3 million COVID-19 cases and more than 121,200 deaths as per Johns Hopkins University tally. However, after such comments, many senior officials in the White House along with press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said that those statements made by US president were “in jest” and was “joking about the media and their failure to understand the fact that when you test more you find more cases”.

But recently, while answering a reporter’s question Trump said, “I don’t kid, let me tell you, let me make it clear”. Moreover, in an interview with an international media outlet, when he was asked if he actually asked his staff to tone down the COVID-19 testing, Trump said, “No”. However, according to US President, it is a “disadvantage” that the country is carrying out at least ‘25 million’ tests which is ‘much more’ than other countries in the world. Trump also added that ‘in a way’, it is making US ‘look bad’ for doing the right thing. 

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'Not testing enough'

US President's boasting about America's testing of coronavirus being most efficient than any other nation across the globe came as 21st Secretary of US Department of Human and Health Services (HHS) and former governor of Kansas, Kathleen Sebelius said that the country is ‘still reacting’ and not ‘ahead’ of coronavirus contagion. She reportedly said the country’s testing is ‘not enough’ but Trump’s a man who does not want ‘his numbers’ which imply the number of coronavirus patients. Sebelius said that the US President’s mere ‘numbers’ are patients and are people who have already lost their ‘loved ones’ in the fight against COVID-19. Meanwhile, Donald Trump faced severe backlash for not only hosting an indoor rally to kickstart reelection campaign but also for not wearing a facemask.

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