Trump Tangles with Reporters Asking About Coronavirus ‘Hoax’ Comments, Dr. Fauci Being ‘Muzzled’

President Donald Trump became irritated during the coronavirus press conference over questions about his “hoax” comments and the supposed “muzzling” of NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci.

Speaking at a rally in South Carolina on Friday, Trump said that Democrats are “politicizing” the coronavirus and quoted a supporter who called it the “new hoax” to try to beat him. During Saturday’s presser, Trump was asked about the remarks.

“You were down in Charleston last night using the word hoax when talking about Democrats,” said one reporter. “Somebody now is dead from this, do you regret that kind of talk?”

“No no no, hoax referring to the action that they take to try and pin this on somebody, because we’ve done such a good job, and the hoax is on them,” said Trump. “I’m not talking about what’s happening here, I’m talking what they’re doing, that’s the hoax. That’s just a continuation of the hoax, whether it’s the impeachment hoax or the Russia Russia Russia hoax.”

“This is what I’m talking about,” he continued. “Certainly not referring to this, how could anybody refer to this, this is very serious stuff. But the way they referred to it because these people have done such an incredible job, and I don’t like it when they are criticizing these people, and that’s the hoax. That’s what I’m talking about.”

That question was followed immediately by one about the New York Times report that Dr. Fauci was being “silenced” by the administration

“I’m just going to ask you directly about this with regard to the flow of information. From the very beginning you received a lot of criticism regarding that, in particular about Dr. Anthony Fauci, he is world-renowned in contagious diseases. And they were reports out there that he was being muzzled,” asked ABC’s Kyra Phillips. “Can you tell us that this widely respected expert, Dr. Fauci, will have every opportunity to tell us the truth and and the facts?”

The world-renowned and widely respected expert, Dr. Fauci, said already this week that he was not, in fact, being muzzled or silenced. In response to Phillips asking whether he would be allowed to tell the truth and the facts, Trump replied that it was a “dishonest” question. Here is a brief transcript of the exchange.

TRUMP: Well that’s a very dishonest, very dishonest question
PHILLIPS: Why is that dishonest, it’s…
T: because he has had that ability to do virtually whatever he’s wanted to do.
P: So he is not being muzzled
T: Anyway, and in fact, he was never muzzled, I think you can speak, why don’t you speak to that. Very dishonest question, but that’s okay
P: It’s not dishonest, I want to clarify.

Dr. Fauci himself, who was part of the briefing, then respond directly.

“Let me clarify it. I have never been muzzled ever, and I’ve been doing this since the administration of Ronald Reagan,” said Fauci. I’m not being muzzled by this administration.

Fauci said the press “misinterpreted” what was essentially a procedural change in booking TV shows after the formation of the task force under Vice President Pence.

Another question, this time from NBC’s Kelly O’Donnell, circled back to the “hoax” comments from the President’s rally.

“What responsibility do you feel, as you’re communicating about this for the public to follow your directions and to take prudent steps, and then when you did use the word ‘hoax’, couldn’t that cause some people to not take the precautionary steps because they are linking what you’re saying when you use the word hoax in the context of coronavirus?” asked O’Donnell.

“So again the hoax was used with respect to Democrats and what they were saying, it was a hoax what they were saying, and that was very clear if you’d read the words,” Trump replied. “And I think you know that too.”

Talk radio host Rush Limbaugh made news earlier in the week when he downplayed the seriousness of the outbreak and said that the coronavirus news is being “weaponized” by the media and Democrats to attack Trump.

On Friday at CPAC, acting chief-of-staff Mick Mulvaney said that the press has been “covering their hoax of the day” a few weeks ago, meaning impeachment, rather than the administration response to the coronavirus. He then said that the press is covering coronavirus now because “they think this is going to be what brings down the president. That’s what this is all about.” Trump was asked about Mulvaney’s comments on Friday and blasted CNN.

In his answer to O’Donnell on Saturday, Trump touted the speed of the administration taking action on the outbreak and the “talented” people who have been working against the spread here in the United States. “These people are so talented I’ve seen them in action now for a number of weeks actually, but for in particular for the last four or five days, and I want to thank Mike Pence and everybody for the job they’re doing,” he said. “We have a great team, we have great people and this too will end.”