Trump claims he was being ‘sarcastic’ as he tries to backtrack on injecting disinfectants comment
President Donald J. Trump has said he was only being sarcastic when he suggested that researchers should explore if exposing the body to light, heat, and disinfectants could be a possible treatment for COVID-19.
"I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen," Trump told reporters at an Oval Office bill signing on Friday, The Hill reported.
However, those who watched the briefing were skeptical of the president's clarification. Fox News anchor Bret Baier, after learning of Trump's apparent walk-back, remarked that it "didn't seem like it was coming off as sarcastic when he was talking and turning to Dr. Birx on the side."
Trump's comments came after William Bryan, a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) official who oversees its science and technology unit, detailed his team's initial findings that the novel coronavirus appeared to deteriorate more quickly when it was subjected to higher levels of heat, humidity, and UV rays from the sun.
"So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous — whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light — and I think you said that hasn't been checked but you're going to test it," Trump said after the presentation. "And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside of the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way. And I think you said you’re going to test that too. Sounds interesting."
The president also inquired whether it was possible to use disinfectants directly on the body "by injection inside or almost a cleaning."
And when asked if it was irresponsible for him to suggest that Americans should go outside and bask in the sun amid the pandemic, Trump turned to Dr. Deborah Birx and inquired whether it was possible to use light and heat as a treatment.
"Deborah, have you ever heard of that? The heat and the light, relative to certain viruses, yes, but relative to this virus?" he asked.
"Not as a treatment," Birx replied. "I mean, certainly... when you have a fever, it helps your body respond. But not as — I've not seen heat or light."
"I think it’s a great thing to look at," Trump said. The president's controversial remarks received major pushback from medical experts, elected officials, as well as manufacturers of disinfectants, who warned Americans not to ingest chemicals under any circumstances.
Scott Gottlieb, a former FDA Administrator, clarified that there's "no circumstance" wherein an individual should inject themselves with a disinfectant.
Meanwhile, Reckitt Benckiser, the company that manufactures Lysol and Dettol, also warned against consuming its products in a statement on Friday.
However, the White House went on to claim that the president's remarks were taken out of context.
“President Trump has repeatedly said that Americans should consult with medical doctors regarding coronavirus treatment, a point that he emphasized again during yesterday’s briefing," press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement.
The novel coronavirus, or SARS-CoV-2, has ravaged the United States, which has recorded the highest number of infections and fatalities compared to any other country.
As of Friday morning, 883,826 confirmed cases were reported with 50,373 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.