Washington: As Donald Trump cancelled the regular coronavirus task force briefing on Saturday (local time), the US President said he sees no point of having press conferences as he is mostly asked 'hostile questions' by a section of American media, which he claimed gets record ratings by reporting 'fake news'.
"What is the purpose of having White House news conferences when the lamestream media asks nothing but hostile questions and then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, and the American people get nothing but fake news. Not worth the time and effort!" Trump wrote on Twitter.
This comes in the backdrop of Trump's remarks at a COVID-19 briefing on Thursday, where he suggested that medical experts could explore ways of using disinfectants or ultraviolet light to treat coronavirus patients through injection or a cleanse.
The US President later clarified that his remarks were "sarcastic" in nature.
Read more: Was 'sarcastic' when talking about injecting disinfectants to treat COVID-19 patients, says Trump
A day after Trump's remarks, several makers of household disinfectants have urged customers not to inject or ingest their cleaning products to treat COVID-19.
"Remember, the cure cannot be worse than the problem itself. Be careful, be safe, use common sense!" Trump said in another tweet, in response to the upheaval caused by his sarcastic comments.
He even re-tweeted a message from US' public health institute (CDC) which said, "Household cleaners and disinfectants can cause health problems when not used properly. Follow the instructions on the product label to ensure safe and effective use. Learn more about cleaning and disinfecting your home."
Trump further took a potshot at the mainstream media, saying that he "never said the pandemic was a hoax."
"Who would say such a thing? I said that the do-nothing Democrats, together with their mainstream media partners, are the hoax. They have been called out and embarrassed on this, even admitting they were wrong, but continue to spread the lie!" he said in another subsequent tweet.
According to Johns Hopkins University's data, the US has recorded over 9,33,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 and more than 53,300 deaths from the virus.
Also read: White House could alter virus briefings to limit Trump role
(With inputs from ANI)
