Trump fights to defend record in frequently testy town hall

President Trump was put on the defensive about the coronavirus early during an NBC News town hall in Miami — one that, at times, felt like a debate with moderator Savannah Guthrie — facing questions about both the federal response to the pandemic and his own positive test.

Asked about whether he should have required more face mask-wearing and social distancing at White House events, Trump insisted that as president, he “can’t be locked in a room all the time.” He argued that without the actions the federal government took under his leadership, the death toll would have been much higher. He also would not definitively say he was tested for the coronavirus before the first presidential debate with Democratic challenger Joe Biden.