Trump claims his dangerous disinfectant claims were meant 'sarcastically', as US coronavirus death toll passes 50,000
After promoting the idea that both sunlight and injecting disinfectant could help tackle Covid-19, Donald Trump claimed his comments were sarcastic.
"I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters ... to see what would happen," the president said on Friday as he signed another coronavirus relief bill into law. He had faced a torrent of ridicule for his comments, which were directed at doctors on his coronavirus taskforce, not at reporters.
FDA commissioner Dr Stephen Hahn didn't think it was something to joke about, saying he "certainly wouldn't recommend the internal ingestion of a disinfectant."
While somewhat overlooked among the disinfectant injections reaction, the FDA also issued a strong warning on Friday over malaria drugs hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine in treating coronavirus due to risk of heart rhythm problems. The president has repeatedly called on people to use the untested drugs, at one point pleading "What do you have to lose?"
US Navy officials, meanwhile, recommended that Captain Brett Crozier be restored to his post as commander of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after sending a letter to the Secretary of Defence pleading for help with a coronavirus outbreak on the vessel. That letter was leaked to the media leading to his dismissal.
It came as a second US Navy ship was hit by a major coronavirus outbreak, with at least 18 sailors aboard destroyer USS Kidd testing positive in the Eastern Pacific.
Something was amiss going into the daily White House coronavirus press briefing, with correspondents reporting that the administration was trying to move reporters around the room.
In what may be a first for Trump's daily coronavirus press conferences, the president cut short his usual marathon session without taking any questions. Shortly after Vice President Mike Pence delivered his word salad, Trump walked directly out as reporters shouted from the gallery "is now the time for sarcasm?"
