US President Donald Trump skipped his daily coronavirus briefing on Saturday, tweeting later that it was “not worth the time and effort.”
Trump, who has been criticized for a series of missteps in his handling of the coronavirus crisis, has seen public approval of his performance during the pandemic drop in recent weeks and his poll numbers slip in key battleground states. Some aides are urging him to shorten his lengthy daily briefing and leave medical advice to the experts.
Those concerns came to a head on Thursday, when the president floated the idea that ingesting disinfectants could work as a coronavirus treatment. Trump’s unfounded medical advice was met with near-universal outcry – he faced criticism from medical professionals and even the manufacturers of cleaning products.
“Reminder: Lysol disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as directed and in line with usage guidelines,” the Lysol brand wrote on Twitter following the president’s comments. “We must be clear that under no circumstances should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body.”
Trump sought to walk back his claims the following day, saying he was being “sarcastic” when he suggested treating the virus with disinfectants, and that he heard a “very nice rumor” that heat and sunlight could kill the virus.
On Friday, Trump changed his approach, holding a briefing where he spoke for less than 30 minutes and took no questions. By Saturday, the president had gone dark. The White House coronavirus task force met privately but did not hold a briefing. (Excerpts from politico.eu)