President Trump, pressed by a Yahoo News pool reporter on testing during an Oval Office meeting, called for an apology after Dr. Deborah Birx, a coronavirus task force leader, brushed aside the question as outdated by the facts. He did later apologize.
As soon as the president wrapped up a talk with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and opened the room to questions, pool reporter Hunter Walker with Yahoo News asked why South Korea had tested “5 times” more people per capita than the United States.
“I don’t think that’s true,” said Trump of the figures that show the U.S. has tested 16.9 per 1,000, while South Korea tested 11.8 per 1,000. Secrets reported the numbers yesterday that showed the U.S. surpassed the Asian nation last week.
“That is true,” challenged the reporter, who wrote about his question in the pool report from the event.
“Your pooler asked the president and Dr. Birx why South Korea has given five times more tests per capita than the U.S. particularly since the White House has repeatedly touted our performance relative to South Korea. Your pooler also noted the infection rate is over 14 times higher here,” said his pool report.
Birx talked about testing but didn’t have the numbers until a few minutes later when she said, “So, to our Yahoo gentleman, I just want to make it clear that South Korea was 11 per 100,000, and we’re at 17 per 100,000.” The University of Oxford data she was referring to actually is per 1,000.
Trump then said, “Are you going to apologize, Yahoo? That’s why you’re Yahoo, and nobody knows who the hell you are.”
Birx was kinder. “Just check it again,” she said.
Trump added, “You ought to get your facts right before you make a statement like that. OK, your facts are wrong.”
Later on Twitter, reporter Hunter Walker did apologize. “In the Oval Office, I asked about test rates and infection rates compared to South Korea. President Trump and Dr. Birx said I was wrong that they’ve done more tests per capita. Trump said I should apologize. They did not address multiple questions about our higher infection rate.”
In the Oval Office, I asked about test rates and infection rates compared to South Korea. President Trump and Dr. Birx said I was wrong that they’ve done more tests per capita. Trump said I should apologize. They did not address multiple questions about our higher infection rate.
— Hunter Walker (@hunterw) April 28, 2020
