Trump says he doesn't 'take responsibility at all' for lack of coronavirus testing
![Donald Trump.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/25cJTASseMnwScDWtzZbsd-415-80.png)
President Trump clearly doesn't mind shaking hands in the age of coronavirus, and he's making sure he flexes his finger-pointing muscles as well.
After attacking former President Barack Obama and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for contributing to COVID-19 coronavirus testing failures, Trump emphasized that he, the current U.S. president, bears no responsibility for the disastrous lag in testing kits being distributed across the country.
"No, I don't take responsibility at all, because we were given a set of circumstances and we were given rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time," Trump said during a press conference discussing the pandemic. "It wasn't meant for this kind of an event, with the kind of numbers that we're talking about. What we've done is redesign it very quickly."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
![https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516-320-80.jpg)
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
As few as 77 kits were administered between Sunday and Wednesday, prompting Dr. Anthony Fauci to call the botched response "a failing." During the press conference, both Trump and Fauci iterated that the current testing system was not designed for the specific needs of the new coronavirus crisis.
When prompted later by PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor over the Trump administration's 2018 shutdown of a pandemic response team, Trump responded by calling the question "nasty," saying he didn't "know anything" about the disbanding she spoke of.
Trump didn't give exact details on when better testing will be rolled out, but he said to expect an announcement Sunday night and claimed they'll have the "ability to do in the millions over a very quick period of time."
Create an account with the same email registered to your subscription to unlock access.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Marianne is The Week’s Social Media Editor. She is a native Tennessean and recent graduate of Ohio University, where she studied journalism and political science. Marianne has previously written for The Daily Beast, The Crime Report, and The Moroccan Times.
-
Ukraine's Olympians: going for gold in the line of fire
Under the Radar Hundreds of the country's athletes have died in battle, while those who remain deal with the psychological toll of war and prospect of Russian competitors
By Harriet Marsden, The Week UK Published
-
'Democrats now have a chance to present a vigorous, compelling case'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
What has Kamala Harris done as vice president?
In Depth It's not uncommon for the second-in-command to struggle to prove themselves in a role largely defined by behind-the-scenes work
By Theara Coleman, The Week US Published
-
The GOP is Donald Trump Jr.'s party now
In The Spotlight The former president's gun-loving, live-streaming adult son has emerged as more than just his father's namesake — he's become a Republican powerhouse of his own
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
For God and country: is religion in politics making a comeback?
Talking Point There are many MPs of faith in the new Labour government despite it being the most openly secular House of Commons in history
By Chas Newkey-Burden, The Week UK Published
-
The attack on Donald Trump
Opinion We've seen this kind of shooter before
By Susan Caskie Published
-
74 things Donald Trump has said about women
Feature The former president has a long history of controversial remarks about the opposite sex
By Rafi Schwartz, The Week US Published
-
DHS opens review of Trump assassination attempt
Speed Read An independent panel will investigate the Secret Service's handling of the shooting
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Can Kamala Harris beat Trump?
Today's Big Question Some senior Democrats are unsure the vice-president can win in November even as party closes ranks behind her
By The Week UK Published
-
Iran: does Masoud Pezeshkian's election mark a turning point?
Talking Point New president is seen as a progressive but much will depend on how the US reacts
By The Week UK Published
-
'Although we can't eliminate political violence, we can minimize it'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
By Anya Jaremko-Greenwold, The Week US Published