Trump cuts short virus update following detergent backlash – as White House plans the ‘end of daily press briefings’
DONALD Trump reportedly plans to scale back his daily coronavirus press conferences following his abrupt exit from Friday's briefing after just 22 minutes.
The president could stop daily briefings as early as next week, and they will be much shorter when he does appear, sources told Axios.
"I told him, it's not helping him," one of the president's advisers reportedly said.
"Seniors are scared. And the spectacle of him fighting with the press isn't what people want to see."
The briefing scale back comes after:
But Trump has defended the routine by telling critics that his briefings get good ratings.
Friday's briefing was cut short after Vice President Mike Pence gave updates on testing and cases in the US, with the president abruptly walking out of the room after just 22 minutes.
He refused to answer any questions after his comments about injecting detergent to cure the virus during Thursday's briefing led to a huge backlash.
Another source told the news outlet there isn't enough new material to justify Trump's daily appearances before the press.
"I mean, you wonder how we got to the point where you're talking about injecting disinfectant?" they reportedly said.
He made the claim during a White House news conference on Friday as he signed a $484 billion bill to aid employers and hospital workers during the pandemic.
"Leave it to the media to irresponsibly take President Trump out of context and run with negative headlines," she added.
He after a new study by the Department of Homeland Security found that direct sunlight, bleach, and isopropyl alcohol kill the virus.
Experts warn that cleaning products can be dangerous and potentially fatal if ingested or put into the body.
Although the president plans to scale back his appearances, a source said decisions like this are never truly final.
"He should keep everyone guessing as to whether he appears day by day," a senior administration official said.
"And leave the technical briefings to others. Be there to announce victories."