House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) aimed harsh criticism at President Donald Trump after he suggested that some sort of disinfectant injections might protect against the coronavirus.
In a press conference on Friday, Pelosi began by attacking Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), saying, “Speaking of Mitch, what’s gotten into him? Well, it’s an indication, the president is asking people to inject Lysol into their lungs and Mitch is staying that states should go bankrupt.”
She continued, “It’s a clear visible within 24 hours of how the Republicans reject science and reject governance.”
“If you don’t believe in science and you don’t believe in governance, that’s their approach … we know that governance has a role and we know that science has a role and without science in our decision making, we are not going to be on a very successful path.”
Watch Pelosi’s remarks below:
PELOSI: "The president is asking people to inject Lysol into their wounds, and Mitch [McConnell] is saying that states should go bankrupt. It's a clear, visible [sign] — within 24 hours — of how the Republicans reject science and reject governance." pic.twitter.com/fBZCws4wBy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 24, 2020
At another point in the press conference, Pelosi said, “Unfortunately, we’re seeing Republicans make comments with zero connection to science and facts.”
Moments later, she paraphrased Trump, saying, “We can kill the virus by injecting disinfectants like Lysol into the body,” adding, “clearly and sadly, the president is not listening to medical experts and I don’t which ones he is listening to, if any.”
She continued, “America must ignore the lies and start to listen to scientists and others, respected professionals, in order to protect ourselves and our loved ones.”
See her comments below:
"Clearly and sadly the president is not listening to medical experts … America must ignore the lies" — a disbelieving Pelosi reads a transcript of Trump's disinfectant comments pic.twitter.com/5P52sVrA9q
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 24, 2020
In a press conference on Thursday, Trump said, “I see the disinfectant where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute.”
He then turned to Dr. Deborah Birx, who serves on the coronavirus response team, and asked, “Is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that.”
After Trump’s suggestion, the company that owns Lysol issued a statement, saying, “As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route).”
