For most of his life as a pitchman, Trump has only had his own reputation on the line. But now, in the middle of a generational health crisis, lives are at stake.


In an eye-popping moment, Trump doubled down on his claim that sunlight and the festering humidity of high summer could purge the virus in his latest grab for a game-changer therapy.

Then, he asked aides on camera whether zapping patients with light or injecting disinfectant into the lungs to clean sick patients from inside could cure them of the disease.

"Maybe you can, maybe you can't. Again I say maybe you can, maybe you can't. I'm not a doctor. I'm like a person who has a good you-know-what," Trump said, pointing to his head.

Trump's comments made his extravagant claims for the unproven use of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine seem peer-reviewed by comparison. And they were ironic, given rising criticism that he repeatedly discredits science that conflicts with his rosy claims the pandemic will soon be over.

Trump's bizarre performance came as the horrible dilemma he faces between keeping the economy closed to halt the virus and getting people back to work became even more stark.

New data Thursday showed that 26 million Americans have lost their jobs in five weeks, reflecting the terrible human impact the current emergency can have even on people who don't get sick. The number of US deaths moved towards 50,000 as the virus dug into more communities -- even as a clutch of states laid plans to open back up.

Trump hits back amid critiques of his anti-science approach

The President spent little time at his daily briefing explaining his thinking on how he might safely pilot the nation out of this crisis, instead reaching for a new narrative more hopeful than the grim reality in his latest example of "miracle" thinking on how to beat the pandemic.

He called upon William Bryan, acting director of the Homeland Security Department's Science and Technology directorate, to unveil research into the coronavirus's susceptibility to heat and light.

Bryan presented data showing that in some circumstances sunlight can reduce the half-life of the virus on a surface or in the air from 18 hours to less than two minutes.

"That's how much of an impact U.V. rays has on the virus," Bryan said. He also spoke about how effective bleach and other disinfectants could be at eradicating the pathogen in areas that were not exposed to sunlight in interesting research that could help Americans understand how to clean surfaces.

But Trump, who appeared fascinated by the possibilities, posed a question of entirely different magnitude: "Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light ... supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do, either through the skin or in some other way?" Trump asked, possibly thinking of an analogy to radiation treatment, which can be used to treat cancers.


Then the President pondered another idea: "I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute.

"Is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs?"

A few moments later, Trump asked Dr. Deborah Birx, a top member of his pandemic task force, whether heat and light could be combined as a cure for someone facing the cascade of coronavirus complications including respiratory problems, cardiac issues and kidney failure that can be caused when the body tries to fight the virus and overreacts.

The veteran MD and internationally renowned public health expert -- who was seated off to the side -- appeared to struggle with how to respond.

"Not as a treatment ... it's a good thing when you have a fever, it helps your body respond. But .. I've not seen heat for viruses."

When Trump was subsequently asked why he was touting rumored cures and not medically proven science, the President reacted angrily, accusing the reporter of pushing fake news.

"I'm just here to present talent. I'm here to present ideas because we want ideas to get rid of this thing." Trump said.

The surreal nature of the spectacle later prompted CNN's Chief White House Correspondent Jim Acosta to reflect on air: "This is sort of becoming President Trump's traveling medicine show."

https://amp.cnn.com/cnn/2020/04/24/politics/donald-trump-coronavirus-disinfectant-sunlight-science/index.html?__twitter_impression=true

Trump go just dey talk rubbish dey hype himself.


Modified
Let no idiot reply me that I support buhari because I criticize Trump. I don't understand how criticizing Trump became support 4 buhari.

Buhari and Trump are two dumb fellow but buhari is extra because he is dumb and lifeless at thesame time.

Nairalandmonika:
Trump go just dey talk rubbish dey hype himself.

What has your own President, Major Gen. M.Buhari (rtd) said?


Don't be an hypocrite.

Carry out such an operation without the consent of the patients?

US should go for artificial sunlight.

That's like drinking rat poison to kill rat or smoking mosquito coil for mosquito's and malaria to die. Coronavirus also enters the blood and it is a matter time before it relocates the lungs.

Fake News by fake news CNN

KenOne:


But don't you think is better you say nothing than say rubbish. Trump is making sure he carries first as the one who suggested the cure for Covid-19.

It reminds me of my primary school days whenever a teacher ask questions i am always the first to raise my hand even when i don't know the answer so that i will be looked like a brilliant child.

Of what benefit has General buhari silence brought to the country?

Atleast Trump is suggesting, unlike the dullard who's been pushed around like an old rusty Volkswagen beetle.

garetz:
Fake News by fake news CNN

Open it, a video was attached. It’s even trending on twitter in the United States.

Dumbs Trump.
He says so many meaningless things such that when one of them somehow becomes
partially correct, he can claim the glory.
If it goes wrong, he will deny it.

This is the same strategy used by our local fake pastors who release many inconsistent "prophecies".

his making sense. except for the disinfectant part

This is stupidity of the highest order.

Inteltower:
his making sense.
except for the disinfectant part

What other sense did he make? The heating up with UV light?

I miss seeing a real president at the white house

ThinkFreely:
What other sense did he make? The heating up with UV light?

he came up with ideas. and scientist may know to do such. isn't there radiation therapy for cancer patients.

so dey reason

ThinkFreely:
Open it, a video was attached. It’s even trending on twitter in the United States.

Trump didn't suggest it, he said a suggestion has been made by some medical experts to that effect then he asked Dr Birx if she has heard about it. This is complete fake news by CNN to be saying it was Trump that made the suggestion.

JAMO84:
I miss seeing a real president at the white house

Obama was an idiot in chief, not a Commander in chief

Better president unlike president lifeless

His high on bullsh*t

A whole U.S president, honestly ...what an ass! See reasoning abeg.

Inteltower:


he came up with ideas. and scientist may know to do such. isn't there radiation therapy for cancer patients.

so dey reason

You don’t ask such questions if you paid attention in your elementary science classes.
Those questions were utterly unacceptable on national tv for a president. It’s embarrassing

garetz:

Trump didn't suggest it, he said a suggestion has been made by some medical experts to that effect then he asked Dr Birx if she has heard about it. This is complete fake news by CNN to be saying it was Trump that made the suggestion.

Bro, we saw the video.

JAMO84:
I miss seeing a real president at the white house

This devilish morōn was the worse thing to ever happen to America. Obama was the worst American president ever.

ThinkFreely:
Bro, we saw the video.

What video did you see

garetz:

Trump didn't suggest it, he said a suggestion has been made by some medical experts to that effect then he asked Dr Birx if she has heard about it. This is complete fake news by CNN to be saying it was Trump that made the suggestion.

Where was the suggestion made, and who made the suggestion, if he wasn’t the one suggesting it? By the way that’s not what a president says publicly if there’s no research backing it up... because millions of people rely on what he says, don’t be surprised if some people are already trying it at home because the president brought the idea on the table

tsinzu:

What video did you see

You see, you didn’t open the link.

Open the link, the video is also everywhere online.

ThinkFreely:
You see, you didn’t open the link.

Open the link, the video is also everywhere online.

I am not the one debating with you, I just want to know the video both of you are talking about .

ThinkFreely:
You don’t ask such questions if you paid attention in your elementary science classes.
Those questions were utterly unacceptable on national tv for a president. It’s embarrassing

oh just shut up
who and who termed a particular statement like that an embarrassment.
he doesn't know everything but sometimes in nonsense there is a sense and could inspire a scientist out there to come up with a solution even though not as raw the President said it..ideas come from from mere words and looking at objects.

maths starts with simplicity its from simplicity that you get a fine tuned complexity.
simplicity it naked & raw & complexity is sophisticated.

how can you jump into complexity without understanding basics. 1+1

so shut the hell up
his pitching his unrefined ideas and so what.
the world is in an epidemic state and seeking solutions but what you care for is how a statement is put out there

Trump is no doubt the daftest President America ever had.

He says things even a ten year old wouldn't utter.

Disinfecting the lungs with a disinfectant? Lol.

How about swallowing condoms to strengthen the immune system & cure HIV?

Such an arrogant dunce.