US President Donald Trump has said that his daily coronavirus press briefings are not worth his “time and effort” as the “lamestream” media asks nothing but “hostile” questions, days after he faced intense rebuke for suggesting the possibility of treating Covid-19 patients by UV light or disinfectant injections.
Trump faced scathing criticism on Thursday for his outlandish suggestion, with health experts urging people not to listen to the President’s “dangerous” advice.
After more than a month of daily coronavirus press briefings, Trump stayed behind closed doors on Saturday, hinting that he was considering halting the White House briefings. Trump took to Twitter about 45 minutes later, addressing the topic of his briefings.
“What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately,” the president tweeted.
“They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!” he said.
Trump’s remarks came after the president’s controversial comments on Thursday during a press conference where he suggested the possibility of treating coronavirus patients by hitting their bodies with light or disinfectant injections.
The comments garnered national attention and Trump came under heavy fire from health experts, elected officials and private companies who warned Americans not to ingest chemicals.
Former Food and Drug Administration head Scott Gottlieb said there was “no circumstance” in which an individual should inject themselves with a disinfectant.