Coronavirus: Trump accused of lying about taking test after he says there's 'nothing pleasant about' procedure
It seems while the test for COVID-19 is short and painless, it's not exactly comfortable either -- or at least it wasn't so for President Donald J. Trump.
“[It’s] not something I want to do every day, I can tell you that," the president told reporters on Monday after being asked what it was like taking the test last week.
“It’s a little bit of — good doctors in the White House, but it’s a test. It’s a test, it’s a medical test,” he continued. “Nothing pleasant about it.”
Trump's response sparked outrage among his critics on Twitter, with several journalists, media figures, and Hollywood personalities accusing him of outright lying about actually having taken the test. Former RNC Chairman and current MSNBC analyst Michael Steele accused Trump of lying due the simplicity of the test. "Stop it. You didn’t take the test Trump. It’s an oral or nasal swab. 'It’s a little bit of a...' what?! It’s a cotton ball on the end of a stick, for crying out loud," he wrote.
Meanwhile, anti-Trump singer-songwriter Richard Marx supported Steele's allegation.
"He can’t describe it. He didn’t take it. He’s a f**king liar. Every goddamned thing out of his orange bloated face is a lie," he tweeted.
Adm. Brett Giroir, an assistant secretary for Health and Human Services, was also present for the Monday coronavirus briefing. Giroir explained that the test used a Q-tip-style swab “that’s put in the back of the nose, all the way to the back of the throat” through the nasopharyngeal area -- which is where the virus often multiplies -- before the sample is sent for testing, according to USA Today.
And while the swabbing process is painless and takes no more than 10 seconds, the president, like many others, may have found it jarring due to its invasive nature.
Trump also expanded on what personal steps he was taking to prevent infection, especially considering he falls under one of the more vulnerable age groups at 73. “I’ve always washed my hands a lot. I wash my hands a lot, probably — maybe, if anything, more. Certainly not less,” he said.
Health and government officials across the globe have increasingly called for people to practice "social distancing" and to work from home amid the pandemic. The White House announced even stricter distancing guidelines on Monday, such as avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people at one location.
President Trump revealed he tested negative for the COVID-19 on Friday after having himself come in contact with multiple people earlier this month who later tested positive for the deadly virus. The POTUS had previously decided against it saying he had no symptoms, according to People.