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Friday, March 29, 2024

Trump requires WH staff to wear face masks

Duration: 02:12s 0 shares 1 views

Trump requires WH staff to wear face masks
Trump requires WH staff to wear face masks

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday hailed coronavirus testing efforts as the best in the world, but abruptly ended his Rose Garden news conference when grilled over why testing is a "competition" when people are still dying.

Gavino Garay has more.

"They're coming down very rapidly." U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday -- one of the only people in the White House Rose Garden not wearing a mask -- hailed America's testing capability, while maintaining every american doesn't necessarily need to get tested.

"If people want to get tested, they get tested.

But for the most part, they shouldn't want to get tested.

There's no reason.

They feel good.

They don't have sniffles.

They don't have sore throats.

They don't have any problem." The White House has directed staff working in the West Wing to wear masks except when they are at their own desks.

REPORTER: "Were you the one who required that, sir?" TRUMP: "Yeah, I did.

I required it, yes." That request comes after two staffers tested positive for the coronavirus.

One of those staffers is an aide to Vice President Mike Pence.

The White House has increased testing frequency for staff and Trump himself, but Trump downplayed criticism that still some ordinary Americans can't get the test.

REPORTER: "When will the rest of America have the same access that members of your own White House have to testing?" TRUMP: "And you know what, if we didn't get the tests, if we did no tests in the White House, you'd be up complaining 'Why aren't you getting tests for the White House?'

We can't win.

Because, if we didn't get the tests, you'd be up, I understand you very well, better than you understand yourself.

And, frankly, if we didn't get tests done, you'd be up complaining about the fact that we didn't have the tests done." Trump's coronavirus briefings, which some critics say were scaled back after drawing intense criticism for comments he made that could hurt him in the polls, again ended dramatically Monday.

In a testy exchange with an Asian-American reporter, Trump said this: REPORTER: "Why is this a global competition if everyday Americans are still losing their lives, and we're still seeing more cases every day?" TRUMP: "Well, they're losing their lives everywhere in the world.

And maybe that's a question you should ask China." REPORTER: "Sir, why are you saying that to me, specifically?" TRUMP: "I'm telling you, I'm not saying it specifically to anybody, I'm saying it to anybody that would ask a nasty question like that..."

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