Getty WASHINGTON, DC - SEPTEMBER 18: U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference in the James Brady Press Briefing Room of the White House September 18, 2020 in Washington, DC. President Trump will travel to Bemidji, Minnesota, later today to campaign for the upcoming presidential election. (Photo by Alex Wong/Getty Images)
President Donald Trump said he knows better than the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield and FBI Director Christopher Wray during a White House press conference on September 18. The leader had been asked by ABC News Chief White House Correspondent Jon Karl why he doesn’t trust his experts.
“Do you think you know better than they do?” Karl said.
“Yeah, in many cases I do,” Trump said.
Amid disputes between Pres. Trump and his own officials, including CDC Dir. Redfield and FBI Dir. Wray, @jonkarl asks, “How is it that you don’t trust your own experts? Do you think you know better than they do?”
“Yeah, in many cases I do,” Trump says. t.co/VEwkKmBEFP
The president then went on to discuss China, saying it was a bigger threat than Russia. “I think we have a bigger problem with China than we have with Russia. I think China’s far bigger problem and I said ‘well that’s OK if you want to think about Russia, but what about China?” he asked. “I think that’s appropriate. I thought that was the definition of antifa was an absolutely incorrect definition, so I speak up, I like to speak up.”
Trump went on to say there are “fantastic” people around him and went on to hint toward the economy–something he’s been proud of–and put all the blame of the coronavirus pandemic on China.
“I have fantastic people, that’s why we’re able to make these great trade deals,” he said. “That’s why we’re able to do things like we’re doing today, that’s why the country has done so well. The country’s done number likes nobody—had we not had the China plague come in, if that virus didn’t come in, the plague I call it, the plague from China didn’t come in—the numbers we had were—were not only record-setting, they were beyond anything anyone’s ever seen in any country, frankly.”
Trump Was Displeased With Wray’s Testimony
Trump revealed he was not pleased with Wray on the second day he testified to Congress about foreign election interference and domestic terror threats. Wray said Russia was a real threat to U.S. elections and antifa was just “one part” of the domestic terror the FBI was investigating, The Hill noted.
“But Chris, you don’t see any activity from China, even though it is a FAR greater threat than Russia, Russia, Russia,” Trump tweeted. “They will both, plus others, be able to interfere in our 2020 Election with our totally vulnerable Unsolicited (Counterfeit?) Ballot Scam. Check it out!”
He continued: “And I look at them as a bunch of well-funded ANARCHISTS & THUGS who are protected because the Comey/Mueller inspired FBI is simply unable, or unwilling, to find their funding source, and allows them to get away with ‘murder. LAW & ORDER!”
Trump Says Redfield Is ‘Confused’ About Coronavirus Vaccine
Vaccines are moving along fast and safely!
Trump claimed Redfield was “confused” when he testified at a Senate panel on September 16 that an effective vaccine for the coronavirus might not be available until fall of next year, according to USA Today. Redfield added that properly wearing a face mask might be more effective than a vaccine.
Trump, however, has claimed a vaccine will be ready by the November 3 election. The president said he called Redfield after his testimony.
“I think he just made a mistake. … I think he misunderstood the question,” the president said during a White House briefing. “I got the impression that he didn’t realize he said what he might have said.” Trump added: “A vaccine is much more effective than the mask.”
Redfield then took to Twitter to double-down on the importance of wearing masks. “The best defense we currently have against this virus are the important mitigation efforts of wearing a mask, washing your hands, social distancing and being careful about crowds,” he said.
The CDC director added that a vaccine would also be a benefit in the fight against the coronavirus. “I 100 percent believe in the importance of vaccines and the importance in particular of a #COVID19 vaccine. A COVID-19 vaccine is the thing that will get Americans back to normal everyday life,” Redfield tweeted.
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