Bernie Sanders suggested fellow septuagenarian President Trump ought to be tested to see whether he has the novel coronavirus.
“I was asked early on — to the best of my knowledge, I have not been in proximity to somebody who had the virus,” Sanders said in Burlington, Vermont, on Friday. “If I knew that I was, I would get tested, and I think that holds true for the president. And I think as president, he has the right to release that information.”
Trump last week met, dined, and posed for a photo with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro’s press secretary, Fabio Wajngarten, who later tested positive for the virus that causes COVID-19, while hosting events at his Mar-a-Lago resort in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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While Miami Mayor Francis Suarez also contracted the respiratory illness after spending time with the foreign delegation, the White House late Thursday insisted neither Trump nor Vice President Mike Pence would be tested.
“Both the president and vice president had almost no interactions with the individual who tested positive and do not require being tested at this time,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham wrote in a statement.
Sanders offered the advice Friday during his second press conference on the public health crisis in as many days.
The Vermont senator, 78, admitted that the outbreak had “radically changed our campaign,” which has canceled all future rallies and in-person organizing, allowing staff members and volunteers to work remotely. He needs to perform beyond expectations in next week’s round of primary elections in Arizona, Illinois, Florida, and Ohio for him to mathematically remain a viable candidate in his second Democratic presidential race.
Sanders also said he had been in contact with the Democratic National Committee over the status of the upcoming contests. Louisiana’s state government announced Friday it was pushing its primary from April 4 to June 20 due to the coronavirus. The senator told reporters that rescheduling elections shouldn’t be taken lightly, but officials should follow public health guidance.
