White House controversy on Coronavirus testing

The impact of words in a health crisis

Your full forecast is ahead.

Saturday night, at an oklahoma campaign rally, president trump told supporters he had told his people to slow down testing for covid?

"*19.

That comment has ignited nothing short of a firestorm since saturday.

George spoke to cbs radio medical contributor dr. brian mcdonough about that.

And let's be clear about two things.

The white house said within hours of the president's comment, that he was kidding.

And today, dr. anthony fauci testified on capitol hill that nobody ever told him to slow down testing.

Still, those developments have done little to quell the controversy and i don't think anybody is going to be surprised that medical contributor, dr. brian mcdonough isn't remotely pleased by the president's comment/ on saturday night at his much?

"*hyped return to the campaign trail in tulsa, oklahoma, president donald trump said this about testing for covid?

"*19: when you do testing to that extent, you're going to find more people.

You're going to find more cases.

So i said to my people, slow the testing down please.

The president's comment immediately drew criticism, prompting this response from the white house.

That was tongue in cheek.

In an interview with scripps television monday, though, the president held firm.

Did you ask to slow it down?

If it did slow down, frankly, i think we're way ahead of ourselves if you want to know the truth.

We've done too good a job.

Because every time we go, with 25 million tests you're going to find more people.

Cbs radio medical contributor and clinician dr. brian mcdonough is more than a little troubled by the president's comments.

Testing's important because you can track and trace.

You can find out who's positive, find out who they were in contact with and control that group so it doesn't spread out into a community.

That's the whole idea.

The president believes that 25 million tests is a lot, and it would seem like it's a lot, but we have 330 million people in the country and if you look at it from a public health standpoint, to truly track and trace, the way you need to do to dr. mcdonough doesn't care that dr. fauci says he was never told to slow down testing.

Nor does he care that the white house says the president was joking when he made his comments.

Dr. mcdonough believes the messaging coming from the leader of the free world is exceedingly important?

"*?

"*?* he believes what the president said on saturday night was the wrong message.

And now is a good time for us to point out that dr. mcdonough is not a political commentator.

He is a doctor.

He treats covid?

"*19 patients every day.

He talks to us just like he talks to his patients?