Trump says he's OK with coronavirus test but doesn't need one: 'I feel extremely good'
The president's comment comes amid public confusion about who should get tested.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday he has not been tested for the new coronavirus and that his doctor has advised him against doing so at this time, since he does not have any symptoms.
“I feel extremely good. I feel very good,” he told reporters as he explained that he’d be willing to get tested but that there’s no reason for him to do so at this time.
“I guess it's not a big deal to get tested and something I would do, but, again, I spoke to the White House doctor, terrific guy, talented guy. He said he sees no reason to do it. There's no symptoms, no anything,” Trump said.
The president’s comments Tuesday come after his press secretary confirmed late Monday night that the president has not taken a test, despite the fact that the president in recent days has interacted with at least three individuals who have been personally exposed to an individual with the virus.
Even as the count of people infected with the virus in the United States climbs on a daily basis as the pandemic also spreads globally, the president continued to project optimism that the United States has the virus under control.
“It hit the world, and we're prepared and we're doing a great job with it and it will go away, stay calm, it will go away,” President Trump told ABC News Senior Congressional Correspondent Mary Bruce when asked how long Americans should be prepared for the economy to suffer as a result of the coronavirus.
The president’s comments to reporters came after he emerged from an hour-long session behind closed doors with Senate Republicans to discuss various stimulus proposals to bolster the economy from the effects of the virus.
The president promised on Monday that the administration would today be announcing “very dramatic” and “major” economic solutions today, but the president has yet to provide any additional detail about what exactly they are proposing.
He said his proposal for a payroll tax cut was among the options discussed in Tuesday’s meeting with Republicans and reiterated that the government wants to help certain hard-hit industries, including the airline and cruise ship industries.
“It's really working out,” the president said and expressed particular faith in the strength of the American consumer to weather the storm.
“A lot of good things are gonna happen,” the president said. “The consumer is so powerful in our country with what we've done with tax cuts and regulation cuts and all of those things, the consumer has never been in a better position than they are right now.”
Related Topics
