After months of playing down its significance, refusing to wear a mask and holding large campaign rallies as the coronavirus spreads across the United States, US President Donald Trump has tested positive for Covid-19.
Here are some of Trump’s most notable and colorful statements on the illness.
– Under control –
“We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China. It’s going to be just fine.”
Trump in January at the start of the pandemic.
– Miracle –
“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle — it will disappear.”
Trump still publicly upbeat in February.
– Top marks –
“I’d rate it a 10.”
Trump gives himself top marks for his response to the virus in March.
– No face masks –
“I just don’t want to be doing — somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful Resolute Desk, the great Resolute Desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens, I don’t know, somehow I don’t see it for myself. I just don’t. Maybe I’ll change my mind.”
Trump tells the world in April he doesn’t like wearing face masks.
– Prescribing disinfectant –
“Then I see the disinfectant which knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside for almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that.”
“So, supposing we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said, that hasn’t been checked but you’re gonna test it. And then I said, supposing it brought the light inside the body, which you can either do either through the skin or some other way.”
Trump floats unscientific cures in April.
– Going on the offensive –
“I think that the World Health Organization should be ashamed of themselves, because they’re like the public relations agency for China.”
Attacking the WHO and China in April.
– Tested positive –
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
