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Remarks by Trump, Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing, 04-05-2020
Here we go again.
REMARKS
Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing
HEALTHCARE
Issued on: April 6, 2020
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
April 5, 2020
6:59 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you very much, everybody. All these people have been working very, very hard today, Ill tell you. For a long time, theyve been working.
{snip}
And the other thing that we bought a tremendous amount of is the hydroxychloroquine hydroxychloroquine which I think as you know, its a great malaria drug. Its worked unbelievably. Its this powerful drug on malaria. And there are signs that it works on this. Some very strong signs. And, in the meantime, its been around a long time. It also works very powerfully on lupus. Lupus.
So there are some very strong, powerful signs, and well have to see. Because again, its being tested now. This is a new thing that just happened to us the invisible enemy, we call it.
And, if you can, if you have a no signs of heart problems, the azrithromycin [sic] azithromycin which will kill certain things that you dont want living within your body its powerful drug if you dont have a problem, a heart problem, we would say: Let your doctor think about it. But as a combination, I think theyre going to be I think theyre two things that should be looked at very strongly.
Now, we have purchased and we have stockpiled 29 million pills of the hydroxychloroquine 29 million. A lot of drugstores have them by prescription, and also and theyre not expensive. Also, were sending them to various labs, our military. Were sending them to the hospitals. Were sending them all over.
I just think its something you know the expression, Ive used it for certain reasons: What do you have to lose? What do you have to lose? And a lot of people are saying that when and are taking it if youre a doctor, a nurse, a first responder, a medical person going into hospitals, they say taking it before the fact is good. But what do you have to lose? They say, Take it.
Im not looking at it one way or the other, but we want to get out of this. If it does work, it would be a shame if we didnt do it early. But we have some very good signs. So thats hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
And, again, you have to go through your medical people, get the approval. But Ive seen things that I sort of like. So what do I know? Im not a doctor. Im not a doctor. But I have common sense. The FDA feels good about it. Theyve as you know, theyve approved it. They gave it a rapid approval. And the reason: because its been out there for a long time and they know the side effects and they also know the potential. So, based on that, we have sent it throughout the country and we have it stockpiled about 29 million doses. Twenty-nine million doses. We have a lot of it. We hope it works.
Driven by the goal of the brightest minds in science we have the brightest minds in science, but were driven by the goal of getting rid of this plague, getting rid of this scourge, getting rid of this virus. These brilliant minds are working on the most effective antiviral therapies and vaccines. We are working very, very hard. I have met many of the doctors that are doing it. These are doctors that are working so hard on vanquishing the virus.
{snip}
But were going to take care of our workers. Were going to take care of our citizens. Were going to take care of our small businesses. Were going to take care of our large businesses: the airplane industry, the the airline industry. A lot of great industries that we have that are in trouble because of what took place over the last short period of time.
These are industries that were doing better for the most part, doing better than ever. The airlines were doing great. Oil was doing great oil and gas. And the energy industry was doing phenomenally well, and it got hit like nobody has ever been hit before. Just about like no industry has ever been hit before. Theres never been anything like this.
But we see light at the end of the tunnel. Things are happening. Things are happening. Were starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. And hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, well be very proud of the job we all did. We can never be happy when so many people are dying, but were going to be very proud of the job we did to keep the death down to an absolute minimum the least it could have happened with this terrible, terrible virus.
{snip}
REAR ADMIRAL POLOWCZYK: Thank you, sir. What I thought I would do is update on the average first, and then follow up on Dr. Birx and how were geographically aligning the supply chain.
{snip}
Were also working to push out millions of doses of hydrochlor-
THE PRESIDENT: Hydroxy.
REAR ADMIRAL POLOWCZYK: Hydroxychlorine [sic]. Right.
{snip}
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Mr. President. And you all have just heard from several members of the Presidents White House Coronavirus Task Force, and we are we are truly blessed to have the kind of leadership that we have.
And whether it be Admiral Polowczyk, who is organizing the distribution of tens of millions of supplies; whether it be Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci, who are analyzing the data literally hour by hour; or whether it be that whole-of-government approach that you stood up, Mr. President, calling on every agency of government, including the VA, HHS, and every agency I hope the American people know, at this Presidents direction, we are we are sparing no expense. We are doing whatever it takes. Were marshaling the full resources of the federal government to respond to the challenges facing communities impacted today by the coronavirus and making sure every community in America has the support.
Weve also as the President has said so many times, we forged a seamless partnership with states around the country. As the President just reflected, by this Tuesday, with another 840 military medical personnel arriving in New York City, there will be some 3,000 Department of Defense and HHS personnel on the ground to supplement and to provide relief to healthcare workers, really, at the epicenter of the coronavirus in the New York City area. And you just heard the VA is opening up opening up bed space.
{snip}
Q Mr. President, as President of the United States, your words carry enormous weight in this country and around the world. And while you acknowledge youre not a physician, you do promote these medicines extensively here. How do you not go so far as to be giving medical advice? And you said, yesterday, you might take some of these medicines, even though you dont have symptoms. Are you still planning to do that? And how do you calibrate being enthusiastic
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q and not playing doctor?
THE PRESIDENT: Because I want people to live and Im seeing people dying. And I see people that are going to die without it. And you know the expression. When thats happening, they should do it. What really do we have to lose?
We also have this medicine has been tested for many years for malaria and for lupus, so its been out there. So its a very strong, powerful medicine, but it doesnt kill people. We have some very good results and some very good tests. Youve seen the same test that I have.
Q But for those without symptoms, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: In France, they had a very good test; theyre continuing. But we dont have time to go and say, Gee, lets take a couple of years and test it out. And lets go and test with the test tubes and the laboratories. We dont have time. Id love to do that. But we have people dying today. As we speak, there are people dying. If it works, that would be great. If it doesnt work we know, for many years, malaria, it its incredible what its done for malaria; its incredible what its done for lupus. But it doesnt kill people.
Thats one of the things with a vaccine. When we have a vaccine, we have to do tests because when you inject that vaccine, when they take whatever ever it is they have to take, we have to make sure it doesnt have a horrible impact, destroy somebody. Good? So we have to test it for a long period of time. This one, not so much because its been out there.
Now, Im not acting as a doctor. Im saying, Do what you want, but there are some good signs. Youve read the signs, Ive read the signs. With the other one, theres some very good signs also. Different going together works very well. But there may be an indication that if you have a problem with your heart, you shouldnt take what we call the Z-Pak. You shouldnt take it, and thats okay.
But I would love to go to a laboratory and spend a couple of years testing something. We dont have time. We dont have two hours, because there are people dying right now. If it does help, great. If it doesnt help, we gave it a shot. We gave it a shot. Thats the way I feel.
Q Were you serious about taking it, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, we passed something yeah, I would I would be very serious about taking it.
We passed something that Im very proud of. Its called Right to Try. For 45, 50 years, theyve been trying. It makes so much sense. We have the greatest doctors and labs and lab technicians, the greatest medicines, the greatest minds in the world. Everybody admits it. And when were close to having something, or when we have something that tests incredibly well, you couldnt use it for years because they would take years and years to test.
So with the help of also Democrats I got it bipartisan, but theyve been trying to get this passed for for decades. You know that. Its called Right to Try. So a person would be diagnosed terminally ill from something. And in the old days, meaning before a year ago, they would say, Do you think I could try this this pill, this whatever, this medicine thats testing so well? No, you cant do that. You cant do that under no circumstances. Theyd leave for Asia, theyd leave for Europe, theyd leave for if they had money. If they had no money, theyd go home and die with no hope.
We got a thing called Right to Try. If somebody is very ill, terminally ill, theyre going to die. They and it was very complex. It wasnt as easy as it sounds because there were huge liability problems. The drug companies didnt want to do it because they didnt want it on test results because these are very sick people, so they didnt want to bring down their test results. The insurance companies had tremendous problems.
I got everybody in the room, I said, Look, well sign a waiver. The person taking it will say, Were not going to sue. The family is not going to sue the drug company, not going to sue the insurance company, not going to sue the state, the city, or the federal government. Okay? Its called exculpation. And we got it done. Its a very simple agreement. I dont know why nobody ever thought of it, but they never thought of it. I did. And we got it done.
Now we have Right to Try, which is actually, in my opinion, much more difficult than what were talking about here. But if theres a medicine or something, a possible cure, or something thats looking good and somebody has something thats going theyre going to die or theyre very sick, they take it. And, you know, weve had some unbelievable results. Unbelievable results. And it also gives the people hope.
Yes, please.
Q Mr. President, but the doctors who are treating coronavirus patients, they have the medical expertise to determine whether or not they should prescribe hydroxychloroquine.
THE PRESIDENT: Thats true. And many of them do.
Q And there are already clinical trials in place
THE PRESIDENT: Sure.
Q looking at hydroxychloroquine.
THE PRESIDENT: Sure.
Q So, why not
THE PRESIDENT: They should be finished in about a year.
Q Why not just let the science speak for itself? Why are you promoting this drug?
THE PRESIDENT: Im not. Im not. Im just saying
Q Youre coming out
THE PRESIDENT: very simply. Im not at all. Im not.
Look, you know what Im trying to do? Im trying to save lives.
Q Well, you come out here every day right, sir? talking about the benefits of hydroxychloroquine.
THE PRESIDENT: I want them to try it. And it may work, and it may not work. But if it doesnt work, its nothing lost by doing it. Nothing.
Q What do you
THE PRESIDENT: Because we know long term, what I want, I want to save lives. And I dont want it to be in a lab for the next year and a half as people are dying all over the place.
Q But its already out there. Doctors are already able to prescribe it off label.
THE PRESIDENT: Thats right.
Q Right? So what do you accomplish?
THE PRESIDENT: All Im doing is saying well, Ill tell you what I accomplish. We bought massive amounts of it 29 million doses of it. We have it coming from all of the labs. Were actually now doing it here, because in case it does work, we want to have it. And weve given it to drugstores, were were sending it all over. FEMA is doing it. FEMA is doing it. Were doing it through different channels, many different channels, including the companies that make it.
Q So you
THE PRESIDENT: Its a very special thing. Now, it may not work, in which case, hey, it didnt work. And it may work, in which case, its going to save a lot of lives. Now, a lot of people say, if the people walking in prior to getting it, if they take it, it has a profound effect. Well, maybe it does and maybe it doesnt.
Q Where is the conclusive medical evidence of that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: I dont want to wait a year and a half to find out.
And only CNN would ask that question. Fake news.
Go ahead.
Q Sir, I have one for you on oil
THE PRESIDENT: A bunch of fakers.
{snip}
Q Thank you, sir. I wanted to follow up on the hydroxy question. Thanks for the numbers. Has there been any tension with the medical staff on that? Are they in agreement with all these numbers?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, we we discussed it with the staff. We discussed it with FDA. Well, the FDA approved it. So, you know which is another point. I mean its been approved by FDA, which is very important. If it wasnt approved by FDA, then I couldnt do this. But FDA has approved it, the hydroxy.
Q And also, if this turns out not to work, are hospitals and doctors going to be exculpatory from the federal government under the Right to Try?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, well see if it works. No, its not going to its not going to hurt people. It can help them, but its not going to hurt them. Thats the beauty of it, you see. It can help them, but its not going to hurt them. What do you have to lose?
{snip}
Q Yeah, thank you, sir. On infrastructure spending, as you have remarked
THE PRESIDENT: I actually choose you, but thats okay.
Q Oh, Im sorry. Ill let
THE PRESIDENT: Ill let him go. Thats all right. Go ahead.
Q Thank you. On infrastructure, you have remarked about how empty the roads are. Is there any thought, is there any way to speed up infrastructure? I mean, the beltway in Washington, it takes forever to do any road repairs, because of all the traffic
THE PRESIDENT: No, I know. And because they dont do construction techniques that work and that are better. I mean, I see a highway and thats which is what I do. I do construction what I did.
I see highway thats good but its got a bad top, and its got a big base concrete base underneath. And Ill see them come in I dont want to say where, but I could tell you; I could give you plenty of examples and they rip the hell out of it. They take out the base. They take out everything. Now they pour a new base that isnt as good, isnt as deep, isnt as thick. The concrete base was fantastic the footing. It takes forever.
Q What I mean is
THE PRESIDENT: Wait a minute. It takes forever. And instead of scraping out the asphalt, or whatever may be the top scraping it off and putting the new asphalt down, putting the new median in. They could have done it.
And then they open the highway and it starts to crack. The reason is because it hasnt been set. And they spend 10, 15, 20 times more money than they have to. I never believe, when I watch these people doing highways and doing roadways and doing work, how they take the most expensive solution. And the bottom line: The job itself is far worse.
Q So thats thats what Im getting at, is taking advantage of the fact that so many people are staying at home
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q not on the roads. Is there a way to do it more cheaply and efficiently?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, yeah, but hopefully theyre not going to be staying at home for long. Hopefully, this will be out and were not going to have that kind of time. If we have that kind of time, we made a big mistake.
Please, go ahead.
{snip}
Q And does the buck stop with you next, sir? Is that what has happened?
THE PRESIDENT: To do what weve been able to do and to build it to a level, it should have taken a year. It shouldve taken two years. They did it in a matter of weeks. And were helping states.
No, its them. As an example, New York had the right to buy 16,000 ventilators. They could have bought them. They didnt. I understand why they didnt. It was a very expensive purchase. You know, a very expensive and thats a lot: 16,000. And they chose to do something else with their money. I understand that. The problem is when something like this comes along, which you dont expect.
Look, 1917 thats a long time ago perhaps 100 million people died. Thats a long time ago. So people dont think its going to happen. I would have, frankly I mean, did anybody in this room think a thing like this could happen? But it happened. And we built up a force. This is a military operation, as it turned out it really is with FEMA, with the Army Corps of Engineers.
{snip}
Q Dr. Fauci, how many additional asymptomatic cases do you think there are currently in the United States? Theres 330,000 more confirmed cases. How many asymptomatic, given what weve learned in recent days?
DR. FAUCI: You know, we dont know. And even among us, good friends that we are (laughs) we we differ about that. I mean, its somewhere between 25 and 50 percent.
Q More than
DR. FAUCI: Yeah. Yeah, in other words, about the people
Q the current level?
DR. FAUCI: Yeah, about the people that are out there. Yeah.
And trust me, that is a estimate. I dont have any scientific data yet to say that. You know when well get the scientific data, when we get those antibody tests out there and we really know what the penetrance is. Then we can answer the questions in a scientifically sound way. Right now, were just guessing.
THE PRESIDENT: And weve made great progress with the antibody testing. Fantastic progress.
DR. FAUCI: Right.
Q And would you also weigh in on this issue of hydroxychloroquine? What do you think about this? And what is the what is the medical evidence?
THE PRESIDENT: Do you know how many times youve answered that question?
DR. FAUCI: Yeah
Q But Id love to hear from the doctor.
THE PRESIDENT: Maybe 15. Fifteen times. You dont have to ask the question.
Q Hes hes your medical expert, correct?
THE PRESIDENT: Hes answered that question 15 times.
Q Dr. Fauci, why are you not wearing a facemask?
DR. FAUCI: What do you mean? Why am I not wearing a face mask now? Okay, there are a couple of reasons. One of them is that part of the in fact, the major reason to wear a facemask is to protect you from infecting you. I had my test yesterday, and its negative.
THE PRESIDENT: Good.
DR. FAUCI: Okay.
THE PRESIDENT: Thats a very a very good answer. All right, I think that really could be it. That was a very I love that answer, especially on the facemask. I thought it was very good.
Go ahead.
Q Sir, on the equipment issue, records show that federal agencies did not begin
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, stop it.
Q did not begin
THE PRESIDENT: Who are you with? By the way, who are you with?
Q With the Associated Press, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Who you with?
Q The Associated Press. Agencies didnt begin bulk
THE PRESIDENT: Thats another beautiful thats another beautiful (inaudible)
Q bulk purchases of respirators and N95 masks until mid-March.
THE PRESIDENT: Are you ready? Are you ready? Let me just
answer your question because I know exactly you know, the same question you ask all the time. Ready?
Q Its the first time Ive asked this, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: They have done an unbelievable job in delivering
For the Associated Press, which is, you know, not so great, not like it used to be.
The people that youre looking at FEMA, the military what theyve done is a miracle. What theyve done is a miracle in getting all of this stuff. What theyve done for states is incredible. And you should be thanking them for what theyve done, not always asking wise-guy questions.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. Thank you.
END
8:21 P.M. EDT
Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing
HEALTHCARE
Issued on: April 6, 2020
James S. Brady Press Briefing Room
April 5, 2020
6:59 P.M. EDT
THE PRESIDENT: Okay, thank you very much, everybody. All these people have been working very, very hard today, Ill tell you. For a long time, theyve been working.
{snip}
And the other thing that we bought a tremendous amount of is the hydroxychloroquine hydroxychloroquine which I think as you know, its a great malaria drug. Its worked unbelievably. Its this powerful drug on malaria. And there are signs that it works on this. Some very strong signs. And, in the meantime, its been around a long time. It also works very powerfully on lupus. Lupus.
So there are some very strong, powerful signs, and well have to see. Because again, its being tested now. This is a new thing that just happened to us the invisible enemy, we call it.
And, if you can, if you have a no signs of heart problems, the azrithromycin [sic] azithromycin which will kill certain things that you dont want living within your body its powerful drug if you dont have a problem, a heart problem, we would say: Let your doctor think about it. But as a combination, I think theyre going to be I think theyre two things that should be looked at very strongly.
Now, we have purchased and we have stockpiled 29 million pills of the hydroxychloroquine 29 million. A lot of drugstores have them by prescription, and also and theyre not expensive. Also, were sending them to various labs, our military. Were sending them to the hospitals. Were sending them all over.
I just think its something you know the expression, Ive used it for certain reasons: What do you have to lose? What do you have to lose? And a lot of people are saying that when and are taking it if youre a doctor, a nurse, a first responder, a medical person going into hospitals, they say taking it before the fact is good. But what do you have to lose? They say, Take it.
Im not looking at it one way or the other, but we want to get out of this. If it does work, it would be a shame if we didnt do it early. But we have some very good signs. So thats hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
And, again, you have to go through your medical people, get the approval. But Ive seen things that I sort of like. So what do I know? Im not a doctor. Im not a doctor. But I have common sense. The FDA feels good about it. Theyve as you know, theyve approved it. They gave it a rapid approval. And the reason: because its been out there for a long time and they know the side effects and they also know the potential. So, based on that, we have sent it throughout the country and we have it stockpiled about 29 million doses. Twenty-nine million doses. We have a lot of it. We hope it works.
Driven by the goal of the brightest minds in science we have the brightest minds in science, but were driven by the goal of getting rid of this plague, getting rid of this scourge, getting rid of this virus. These brilliant minds are working on the most effective antiviral therapies and vaccines. We are working very, very hard. I have met many of the doctors that are doing it. These are doctors that are working so hard on vanquishing the virus.
{snip}
But were going to take care of our workers. Were going to take care of our citizens. Were going to take care of our small businesses. Were going to take care of our large businesses: the airplane industry, the the airline industry. A lot of great industries that we have that are in trouble because of what took place over the last short period of time.
These are industries that were doing better for the most part, doing better than ever. The airlines were doing great. Oil was doing great oil and gas. And the energy industry was doing phenomenally well, and it got hit like nobody has ever been hit before. Just about like no industry has ever been hit before. Theres never been anything like this.
But we see light at the end of the tunnel. Things are happening. Things are happening. Were starting to see light at the end of the tunnel. And hopefully, in the not-too-distant future, well be very proud of the job we all did. We can never be happy when so many people are dying, but were going to be very proud of the job we did to keep the death down to an absolute minimum the least it could have happened with this terrible, terrible virus.
{snip}
REAR ADMIRAL POLOWCZYK: Thank you, sir. What I thought I would do is update on the average first, and then follow up on Dr. Birx and how were geographically aligning the supply chain.
{snip}
Were also working to push out millions of doses of hydrochlor-
THE PRESIDENT: Hydroxy.
REAR ADMIRAL POLOWCZYK: Hydroxychlorine [sic]. Right.
{snip}
THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you, Mr. President. And you all have just heard from several members of the Presidents White House Coronavirus Task Force, and we are we are truly blessed to have the kind of leadership that we have.
And whether it be Admiral Polowczyk, who is organizing the distribution of tens of millions of supplies; whether it be Dr. Birx and Dr. Fauci, who are analyzing the data literally hour by hour; or whether it be that whole-of-government approach that you stood up, Mr. President, calling on every agency of government, including the VA, HHS, and every agency I hope the American people know, at this Presidents direction, we are we are sparing no expense. We are doing whatever it takes. Were marshaling the full resources of the federal government to respond to the challenges facing communities impacted today by the coronavirus and making sure every community in America has the support.
Weve also as the President has said so many times, we forged a seamless partnership with states around the country. As the President just reflected, by this Tuesday, with another 840 military medical personnel arriving in New York City, there will be some 3,000 Department of Defense and HHS personnel on the ground to supplement and to provide relief to healthcare workers, really, at the epicenter of the coronavirus in the New York City area. And you just heard the VA is opening up opening up bed space.
{snip}
Q Mr. President, as President of the United States, your words carry enormous weight in this country and around the world. And while you acknowledge youre not a physician, you do promote these medicines extensively here. How do you not go so far as to be giving medical advice? And you said, yesterday, you might take some of these medicines, even though you dont have symptoms. Are you still planning to do that? And how do you calibrate being enthusiastic
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q and not playing doctor?
THE PRESIDENT: Because I want people to live and Im seeing people dying. And I see people that are going to die without it. And you know the expression. When thats happening, they should do it. What really do we have to lose?
We also have this medicine has been tested for many years for malaria and for lupus, so its been out there. So its a very strong, powerful medicine, but it doesnt kill people. We have some very good results and some very good tests. Youve seen the same test that I have.
Q But for those without symptoms, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: In France, they had a very good test; theyre continuing. But we dont have time to go and say, Gee, lets take a couple of years and test it out. And lets go and test with the test tubes and the laboratories. We dont have time. Id love to do that. But we have people dying today. As we speak, there are people dying. If it works, that would be great. If it doesnt work we know, for many years, malaria, it its incredible what its done for malaria; its incredible what its done for lupus. But it doesnt kill people.
Thats one of the things with a vaccine. When we have a vaccine, we have to do tests because when you inject that vaccine, when they take whatever ever it is they have to take, we have to make sure it doesnt have a horrible impact, destroy somebody. Good? So we have to test it for a long period of time. This one, not so much because its been out there.
Now, Im not acting as a doctor. Im saying, Do what you want, but there are some good signs. Youve read the signs, Ive read the signs. With the other one, theres some very good signs also. Different going together works very well. But there may be an indication that if you have a problem with your heart, you shouldnt take what we call the Z-Pak. You shouldnt take it, and thats okay.
But I would love to go to a laboratory and spend a couple of years testing something. We dont have time. We dont have two hours, because there are people dying right now. If it does help, great. If it doesnt help, we gave it a shot. We gave it a shot. Thats the way I feel.
Q Were you serious about taking it, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: You know, we passed something yeah, I would I would be very serious about taking it.
We passed something that Im very proud of. Its called Right to Try. For 45, 50 years, theyve been trying. It makes so much sense. We have the greatest doctors and labs and lab technicians, the greatest medicines, the greatest minds in the world. Everybody admits it. And when were close to having something, or when we have something that tests incredibly well, you couldnt use it for years because they would take years and years to test.
So with the help of also Democrats I got it bipartisan, but theyve been trying to get this passed for for decades. You know that. Its called Right to Try. So a person would be diagnosed terminally ill from something. And in the old days, meaning before a year ago, they would say, Do you think I could try this this pill, this whatever, this medicine thats testing so well? No, you cant do that. You cant do that under no circumstances. Theyd leave for Asia, theyd leave for Europe, theyd leave for if they had money. If they had no money, theyd go home and die with no hope.
We got a thing called Right to Try. If somebody is very ill, terminally ill, theyre going to die. They and it was very complex. It wasnt as easy as it sounds because there were huge liability problems. The drug companies didnt want to do it because they didnt want it on test results because these are very sick people, so they didnt want to bring down their test results. The insurance companies had tremendous problems.
I got everybody in the room, I said, Look, well sign a waiver. The person taking it will say, Were not going to sue. The family is not going to sue the drug company, not going to sue the insurance company, not going to sue the state, the city, or the federal government. Okay? Its called exculpation. And we got it done. Its a very simple agreement. I dont know why nobody ever thought of it, but they never thought of it. I did. And we got it done.
Now we have Right to Try, which is actually, in my opinion, much more difficult than what were talking about here. But if theres a medicine or something, a possible cure, or something thats looking good and somebody has something thats going theyre going to die or theyre very sick, they take it. And, you know, weve had some unbelievable results. Unbelievable results. And it also gives the people hope.
Yes, please.
Q Mr. President, but the doctors who are treating coronavirus patients, they have the medical expertise to determine whether or not they should prescribe hydroxychloroquine.
THE PRESIDENT: Thats true. And many of them do.
Q And there are already clinical trials in place
THE PRESIDENT: Sure.
Q looking at hydroxychloroquine.
THE PRESIDENT: Sure.
Q So, why not
THE PRESIDENT: They should be finished in about a year.
Q Why not just let the science speak for itself? Why are you promoting this drug?
THE PRESIDENT: Im not. Im not. Im just saying
Q Youre coming out
THE PRESIDENT: very simply. Im not at all. Im not.
Look, you know what Im trying to do? Im trying to save lives.
Q Well, you come out here every day right, sir? talking about the benefits of hydroxychloroquine.
THE PRESIDENT: I want them to try it. And it may work, and it may not work. But if it doesnt work, its nothing lost by doing it. Nothing.
Q What do you
THE PRESIDENT: Because we know long term, what I want, I want to save lives. And I dont want it to be in a lab for the next year and a half as people are dying all over the place.
Q But its already out there. Doctors are already able to prescribe it off label.
THE PRESIDENT: Thats right.
Q Right? So what do you accomplish?
THE PRESIDENT: All Im doing is saying well, Ill tell you what I accomplish. We bought massive amounts of it 29 million doses of it. We have it coming from all of the labs. Were actually now doing it here, because in case it does work, we want to have it. And weve given it to drugstores, were were sending it all over. FEMA is doing it. FEMA is doing it. Were doing it through different channels, many different channels, including the companies that make it.
Q So you
THE PRESIDENT: Its a very special thing. Now, it may not work, in which case, hey, it didnt work. And it may work, in which case, its going to save a lot of lives. Now, a lot of people say, if the people walking in prior to getting it, if they take it, it has a profound effect. Well, maybe it does and maybe it doesnt.
Q Where is the conclusive medical evidence of that, sir?
THE PRESIDENT: I dont want to wait a year and a half to find out.
And only CNN would ask that question. Fake news.
Go ahead.
Q Sir, I have one for you on oil
THE PRESIDENT: A bunch of fakers.
{snip}
Q Thank you, sir. I wanted to follow up on the hydroxy question. Thanks for the numbers. Has there been any tension with the medical staff on that? Are they in agreement with all these numbers?
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah, we we discussed it with the staff. We discussed it with FDA. Well, the FDA approved it. So, you know which is another point. I mean its been approved by FDA, which is very important. If it wasnt approved by FDA, then I couldnt do this. But FDA has approved it, the hydroxy.
Q And also, if this turns out not to work, are hospitals and doctors going to be exculpatory from the federal government under the Right to Try?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, well see if it works. No, its not going to its not going to hurt people. It can help them, but its not going to hurt them. Thats the beauty of it, you see. It can help them, but its not going to hurt them. What do you have to lose?
{snip}
Q Yeah, thank you, sir. On infrastructure spending, as you have remarked
THE PRESIDENT: I actually choose you, but thats okay.
Q Oh, Im sorry. Ill let
THE PRESIDENT: Ill let him go. Thats all right. Go ahead.
Q Thank you. On infrastructure, you have remarked about how empty the roads are. Is there any thought, is there any way to speed up infrastructure? I mean, the beltway in Washington, it takes forever to do any road repairs, because of all the traffic
THE PRESIDENT: No, I know. And because they dont do construction techniques that work and that are better. I mean, I see a highway and thats which is what I do. I do construction what I did.
I see highway thats good but its got a bad top, and its got a big base concrete base underneath. And Ill see them come in I dont want to say where, but I could tell you; I could give you plenty of examples and they rip the hell out of it. They take out the base. They take out everything. Now they pour a new base that isnt as good, isnt as deep, isnt as thick. The concrete base was fantastic the footing. It takes forever.
Q What I mean is
THE PRESIDENT: Wait a minute. It takes forever. And instead of scraping out the asphalt, or whatever may be the top scraping it off and putting the new asphalt down, putting the new median in. They could have done it.
And then they open the highway and it starts to crack. The reason is because it hasnt been set. And they spend 10, 15, 20 times more money than they have to. I never believe, when I watch these people doing highways and doing roadways and doing work, how they take the most expensive solution. And the bottom line: The job itself is far worse.
Q So thats thats what Im getting at, is taking advantage of the fact that so many people are staying at home
THE PRESIDENT: Yeah.
Q not on the roads. Is there a way to do it more cheaply and efficiently?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, yeah, but hopefully theyre not going to be staying at home for long. Hopefully, this will be out and were not going to have that kind of time. If we have that kind of time, we made a big mistake.
Please, go ahead.
{snip}
Q And does the buck stop with you next, sir? Is that what has happened?
THE PRESIDENT: To do what weve been able to do and to build it to a level, it should have taken a year. It shouldve taken two years. They did it in a matter of weeks. And were helping states.
No, its them. As an example, New York had the right to buy 16,000 ventilators. They could have bought them. They didnt. I understand why they didnt. It was a very expensive purchase. You know, a very expensive and thats a lot: 16,000. And they chose to do something else with their money. I understand that. The problem is when something like this comes along, which you dont expect.
Look, 1917 thats a long time ago perhaps 100 million people died. Thats a long time ago. So people dont think its going to happen. I would have, frankly I mean, did anybody in this room think a thing like this could happen? But it happened. And we built up a force. This is a military operation, as it turned out it really is with FEMA, with the Army Corps of Engineers.
{snip}
Q Dr. Fauci, how many additional asymptomatic cases do you think there are currently in the United States? Theres 330,000 more confirmed cases. How many asymptomatic, given what weve learned in recent days?
DR. FAUCI: You know, we dont know. And even among us, good friends that we are (laughs) we we differ about that. I mean, its somewhere between 25 and 50 percent.
Q More than
DR. FAUCI: Yeah. Yeah, in other words, about the people
Q the current level?
DR. FAUCI: Yeah, about the people that are out there. Yeah.
And trust me, that is a estimate. I dont have any scientific data yet to say that. You know when well get the scientific data, when we get those antibody tests out there and we really know what the penetrance is. Then we can answer the questions in a scientifically sound way. Right now, were just guessing.
THE PRESIDENT: And weve made great progress with the antibody testing. Fantastic progress.
DR. FAUCI: Right.
Q And would you also weigh in on this issue of hydroxychloroquine? What do you think about this? And what is the what is the medical evidence?
THE PRESIDENT: Do you know how many times youve answered that question?
DR. FAUCI: Yeah
Q But Id love to hear from the doctor.
THE PRESIDENT: Maybe 15. Fifteen times. You dont have to ask the question.
Q Hes hes your medical expert, correct?
THE PRESIDENT: Hes answered that question 15 times.
Q Dr. Fauci, why are you not wearing a facemask?
DR. FAUCI: What do you mean? Why am I not wearing a face mask now? Okay, there are a couple of reasons. One of them is that part of the in fact, the major reason to wear a facemask is to protect you from infecting you. I had my test yesterday, and its negative.
THE PRESIDENT: Good.
DR. FAUCI: Okay.
THE PRESIDENT: Thats a very a very good answer. All right, I think that really could be it. That was a very I love that answer, especially on the facemask. I thought it was very good.
Go ahead.
Q Sir, on the equipment issue, records show that federal agencies did not begin
THE PRESIDENT: Oh, stop it.
Q did not begin
THE PRESIDENT: Who are you with? By the way, who are you with?
Q With the Associated Press, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: Who you with?
Q The Associated Press. Agencies didnt begin bulk
THE PRESIDENT: Thats another beautiful thats another beautiful (inaudible)
Q bulk purchases of respirators and N95 masks until mid-March.
THE PRESIDENT: Are you ready? Are you ready? Let me just
answer your question because I know exactly you know, the same question you ask all the time. Ready?
Q Its the first time Ive asked this, sir.
THE PRESIDENT: They have done an unbelievable job in delivering
For the Associated Press, which is, you know, not so great, not like it used to be.
The people that youre looking at FEMA, the military what theyve done is a miracle. What theyve done is a miracle in getting all of this stuff. What theyve done for states is incredible. And you should be thanking them for what theyve done, not always asking wise-guy questions.
Thank you very much, everybody. Thank you. Thank you.
END
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Remarks by Trump, Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing, 04-05-2020 (Original Post)
mahatmakanejeeves
Apr 2020
OP
mahatmakanejeeves
(57,425 posts)1. A very important general said, "sir, we have no ammunition."
I'm saving this for tomorrow's thread.
Aaron Rupar Retweeted
THREAD: The buck never stops in Trumps Oval Office.
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