CNN’s Anderson Cooper is suggesting President Donald Trump is not using his coronavirus briefings for the right reasons.
“What the president showed us today is what the nation’s top scientists have to deal with every day,” Cooper said. “A president who now uses these briefings as a reelection platform.”
Cooper alleged the president maintains all governors are getting what they need, testing is “great,” and reporters who do not submit to Trump’s agenda are being attacked. He also noted that Trump slammed a health department official for releasing a study on shortages hospitals are facing.
Watch his comments below:
.@andersoncooper calls the WH briefing today a “hijacking of the task force press conference by a President determined to rewrite the history of his early and reprehensibly irresponsible response.”
— Anderson Cooper 360° (@AC360) April 7, 2020
“This is not normal and it matters because this is life or death,” he added. pic.twitter.com/5pfNDKKb2C
The political commentator also suggested that Trump takes over the briefings to push his own agenda on his handling of the coronavirus outbreak.
“What we mostly heard was the president, what we saw was a hijacking,” Cooper said. “A hijacking of the task force press conference by a president determined to rewrite the history of his early and reprehensibly irresponsible response to this virus.”
Cooper continued to focus on the aspect of testing and how the White House allegedly did not begin providing testing data until March 5. He claimed the testing numbers did not increase until more than halfway through the month.
He refuted Trump’s claim that testing has always been “great.”
Cooper moved on to discuss how hospitalization and fatality rates are expected to climb, yet there is talk of a “light at the end of the tunnel,” citing Trump’s remarks.
His monologue transitioned to the administration’s suggestion that there will be “rolling peaks” at least through next month.
Cooper brought up social distancing and pointed out stay-at-home orders most states have issued. He reported more than 97% of the country is under these orders.
He reiterated that he believes Trump’s approach to the press briefings is not appropriate.
“This is not normal and it matters because this is life and death,” Cooper said.
