White House spokesperson evades answering when Trump last tested negative 6 times in 1 interview

MSNBCs Hallie Jackson and White House Deputy Press Secretary Brian Morgenstern.

(Image credit: Screenshot/KFILE on Twitter)

published 9 October 2020

The White House really doesn't want to reveal last time President Trump tested negative for COVID-19.

While the White House insists Trump first tested positive for the coronavirus a week ago, late on Oct. 1, that test only came after he had reportedly been showing symptoms of the virus. Reporters have since been trying and failing to get an answer on just when Trump last tested negative, including MSNBC's Hallie Jackson, who pressed White House Deputy Press Secretary Brian Morgenstern six times for an answer on Friday.

When Jackson first asked for the date of Trump's last test, Morgenstern first insisted he didn't know, to which Jackson questioned if he'd even asked for an answer. Jackson then reminded him there is public health value to this question, as knowing when Trump was last testing negative could help pinpoint when he was infected and who he could've spread it to. And when Jackson asked if Trump had at least tested negative for the virus before debating Democratic nominee Joe Biden last week, Morgenstern echoed Trump's doctor Sean Conley in telling Jackson she was "very focused in looking backwards." After her final attempt, when Morgenstern implored Jackson to talk about something else, she shut the interview down. Kathryn Krawczyk

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Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.