Trump walks out of press conference after clashing with female reporters and failing to reveal what crime he is accusing Obama of
Donald Trump abruptly ended a press conference on coronavirus testing after a testy exchange with a female reporter of Asian descent who questioned why he advised her to “ask China” about the global death rate. Trump then left the Rose Garden.
The event began with the announcement that the White House will devote $11bn to bolster coronavirus testing across the country, with officials saying 9 million new tests will be available later this month. Staff and visitors to the White House are now required to wear masks — the president still won't wear one.
Earlier, the president also refused to make clear what offence he believes Barack Obama has committed, a day after suggesting he was responsible for the "biggest political crime in American history, by far". On Sunday he sent out more than 100 conspiracy-minded tweets on a variety of themes, with many targeting his predecessor as the US coronavirus death toll passed 80,000.
Trump expressed his anger at “ObamaGate” after audio was leaked in which the 44th president was heard being highly critical of the “absolutely chaotic disaster” of the federal government’s response to Covid-19 and warning “the rule of law is at risk” over the decision to drop the criminal case against ex-national security adviser Michael Flynn for lying to the FBI.
White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett has meanwhile admitted it is “scary to go to work” at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue just now, given that two senior members of staff have tested positive for the respiratory disease, causing vice president Mike Pence to self-isolate over the weekend.
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