We're kinda surprised the question came from Bill Hemmer at Fox "News," but so was Trump, it seemed. He angrily defended his indefensible, catastrophic response to the pandemic.
March 24, 2020

Bill Hemmer tried to do the impossible: get Trump to agree he wasn't perfect.

Silly Bill Hemmer.

Considering Hemmer is a Fox "News" guy, maybe THAT is the real story, but regardless, here he is recounting quite plainly for Trump his own words back to him about his COVID-19 response.

HEMMER: A month ago, the CDC had an initial test that failed. At that moment, late February, you said, "It's perfect." And it wasn't perfect. So what happened, there, in the early stages in late February?

Gotta say, I like this framing. He doesn't even ask Trump if he screwed up. He just says, "Something wasn't perfect, son. What happened?" Trump, though, who cannot let even the softest of softballs go by if it contains the slightest whiff of criticism (see Peter Alexander), spit back like the rabid ankle-biter he is. How dare anyone imply something he did was less than perfect?!

TRUMP: Well, what I said was perfect was my conversation with the head of the Ukraine, that's what I really said was perfect, okay? That was another whole scandal, nonsense, a total witch hunt. But this one is a much different thing.

NARRATOR VOICE: The phone call with Ukraine's president was NOT perfect.

Also, *twitch* UKRAINE, you walking sh*t funnel, not THE Ukraine. *twitch*

Finally, Trump DID indeed say the tests were perfect, comparing it to his phone call with President Zelensky of Ukraine. But gaslighting is more normal than breathing to this man, so here we are. Oh, and don't forget the lying...

TRUMP: We had other administrations, not just the last one, they built up a platform, they built up a test. But the test was no good. It didn't handle large numbers of people. It was okay for a very small group, but not for a large group.

I think I speak for most people with an elementary school education and above when I say, "What in the name of holy hell are you talking about?" This lie is so obvious, so pathetic, how can he continue to repeat it and think people believe him? But goddess bless Bill Hemmer for pressing on to let him know at least HE was not buying it.

HEMMER: So, did the CDC screw up, or did you screw up? Where did this go wrong?

TRUMP: No, we did not screw up. And I don't think CDC screwed up, either. They had a test that would have worked for a small group of people...

Then Trump continued with the previous lie about how they had a test that only worked for a small number of people, and added on the one about how no one could have seen this coming, and there is no way anyone could have been prepared, blah blah blah.

Wouldn't it have been interesting to see, though, the results had the White House pandemic team NOT been disbanded two years ago? Wouldn't it have been neat to see what today might look like if they could have helped a thinking president, who believed in science, and cared about the health of their citizens, to see this coming and be prepared for it? We'll never know.

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