Trump unfollows ‘good friend’ Piers Morgan on Twitter for slamming his 'batshit crazy' Covid-19 cure theories
US President Donald Trump has "unfollowed" his longtime friend Piers Morgan on Twitter hours after the broadcaster slammed his "batsh*t crazy coronavirus 'cure' theories".
Morgan launched a scathing attack on Trump after the president suggested injecting disinfectants as a cure for coronavirus during a press briefing, saying that his ‘cure’ suggestion to researchers was not only "completely unsubstantiated" but it could kill people.
The 55-year-old shared the news of Trump unfollowing him on Twitter as he wrote: “UPDATE: President @realDonaldTrump has unfollowed me on Twitter, hours after I wrote this @DailyMail column".
The 'Good Morning Britain' host was referring to a column titled ‘President Trump's batsh*t crazy coronavirus 'cure' theories are not just shockingly senseless and stupid - they're going to kill people’ that he wrote for MailOnline on April 24.
In the opinion piece, Morgan ripped into the president after he suggested coronavirus patients may be healed by injecting disinfectants like bleach or isopropyl alcohol. Not only that, the POTUS also advised researchers to look for ways to "insert UV light" into people to neutralize the virus during a press briefing on the pandemic. Trump later said he was being "sarcastic".
Trump’s comments came after the Department of Homeland Security official William Bryan shared that new research had found that UV light, bleach, and isopropyl alcohol could potentially kill the virus within minutes. However, without understanding the theory behind it, the Republican took to the podium and suggested that scientists could find a way to “hit the body with a tremendous – whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light.”
His suggestions did not end there as he went on to discuss the idea of using disinfectants such as bleach to target the deadly virus.
“And then I see the disinfectant where it knocks out in a minute,” Trump said. “One minute. And there is a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? So, it will be interesting to check that.”
The POTUS’ unqualified suggestions frustrated Morgan as he asked him to “SHUT THE F**K UP” and reminded him that he is not a doctor and he should stop "pretending" to be one. “I just see a president pretending to be a medical expert and spewing theories that might have disastrous consequences. By far the most reckless and dangerous thing President Trump has done is use the most powerful podium on earth to air his batsh*t crazy theories about how to beat the virus,” he added.
However, it was not just Morgan who was left baffled by Trump’s comments, several experts also reacted with bemusement and anger.
“This notion of injecting or ingesting any type of cleansing product into the body is irresponsible and it's dangerous. It's a common method that people utilize when they want to kill themselves,” said pulmonologist Dr Vin Gupta.
Another pulmonologist, John Balmes from Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, said, “Inhaling chlorine bleach would be absolutely the worst thing for the lungs. The airway and the lungs are not made to be exposed to even an aerosol of disinfectant. Not even a low dilution of bleach is safe. It's a totally ridiculous concept.”
While Robert Reich, a professor of public policy at the University of California at Berkeley, tweeted: “Trump's briefings are actively endangering the public's health. Boycott the propaganda. Listen to the experts. And please don't drink disinfectant.”