Slow coronavirus test rollout marked Trump administration early response to outbreak

Published March 9, 2020 7:59pm ET



The Trump administration was slow to roll out coronavirus diagnostic tests, a delay critics say put the public at greater risk and demonstrated that the president is not prepared to handle the disease outbreak.

President Trump has been criticized for downplaying the severity of the outbreak in the United States and for delays in getting diagnostic tests to doctors who need them for their patients. He’s dismissed such criticisms, saying Friday that “anybody that needs a test gets a test,” yet the reality is that the U.S. failed to make the tests easily accessible early on, even with weeks to prepare.

Already a print subscriber? Click here to login/register your account

Trusted reporting.Unlimited access.

Subscribe for full access to Washington Examiner coverage, expert political analysis, and subscriber-only journalism.

Get Unlimited Access

Already a member? Log in

Cancel anytime.