Actress Bette Midler has accused President Donald Trump of lying about testing negative for coronavirus after he came in contact with three people later diagnosed with the deadly bug.
Over the weekend White House physician Dr Sean Conley released a statement confirming that Trump had been tested for COVID-19 and the results came back negative.
But Midler, a frequent critic of the president, wasn’t convinced and took to Twitter on Sunday to share her suspicions.
‘You know, #Donald says he has tested negative for #Coronavirus. But why should we believe him? He has lied over 16,000 times in the last three years! Why would he not be lying now?’ the songstress wrote.
Bette Midler (left) accused President Donald Trump (right) of lying about testing negative for coronavirus after he came in contact with three people later diagnosed with the deadly bug
White House physician Dr Sean Conley released a statement Saturday confirming that Trump had been tested for COVID-19 and the results came back negative. But Midler, a frequent critic of the president, wasn’t convinced and took to Twitter on Sunday to share her suspicions
Trump revealed that he had been tested for COVID-19 on Saturday while fielding questions from reporters at a White House press conference.
It came after his doctor released a letter in which he claimed that the president, 73, is low-risk despite his age and his previous contact with three people who later tested positive.
On Saturday evening, Conley issued another statement in which he confirmed of Trump’s test had returned negative and that he remains ‘symptom free’.
‘This evening, I received confirmation that the test is negative,’ Conley wrote.
‘One week after having dinner with the Brazilian delegation in Mar-a-Lago, the president remains symptom-free.
‘I have been in daily contact with the CDC and the White House coronavirus task force, and we are encouraging the implementation of all their best practices for exposure reduction and transmission mitigation.’
Trump’s results were met with delight from his family with first son Donald Trump Jr. tweeting: ‘Negative!!!’
Trump confirmed he was tested Friday during a press conference (pictured)
The letter from Trump’s doctor Commander Sean Conley which confirmed his test negative
Trump’s results were met with delight from his family, as first son Don Jr tweeted: ‘Negative!!!’
At a White House press conference on Saturday, all journalists were screened for fevers before entering the briefing room as part of a new policy of checking the temperature of anyone who comes in close contact with Trump or Vice President Mike Pence.
One journalist was reportedly barred from entering the briefing after showing a high temperature.
White House spokeswoman Katie Miller said in a statement that the reporter’s temperature was taken three times within 15 minutes, and each time was above the 100.4 degree threshold that the CDC defines as a fever.
The White House announced earlier in the day that ‘out of an abundance of caution, temperature checks are now being performed on any individuals who are in close contact with the president and vice president’.
Pence had been scheduled to lead the briefing but Trump led it off with a surprise appearance, touting his handling of the crisis and taking credit for a massive stock market rally as he delivered a press conference during the last 30 minutes of Friday’s trading session.
Contrary to medical advice, the president was seen Friday shaking hands all round as he gathered his coronavirus response team at the White House — a practice he said Saturday owed to long-time habit as a politician but which he said would have to change.
At Saturday’s briefing, Trump also revealed that his own temperature had been checked before he entered the room.
On his way out of the room, as reporters asked him what his temperature was, he turned and shouted, ‘totally normal!’
A member of the media gets their temperature taken over concerns about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room at the White House on Saturday
Brazil’s Acting Ambassador Nestor Forster pictured with President Trump and Ivanka. He has since tested positive for the coronavirus becoming the second Brazilian delegate to receive the diagnosis and leading Trump to take a test. Trump’s test was negative for the coronavirus
From left: Vice President Mike Pence, President Donald Trump, and Fabio Wajngarten, the communications secretary for Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who tested positive for the coronavirus sparking concerns for Trump. The president has since tested negative
Trump said Friday he’d ‘most likely’ get tested for the novel coronavirus, as he was grilled on his recent contacts with several members of a visiting Brazilian presidential delegation who have since tested positive.
Brazil’s Acting Ambassador Nestor Forster tested positive for coronavirus the same day, making him the third person who visited Mar-a-Lago with Trump last weekend to be confirmed with the virus.
A letter from Conley sent on Friday night revealed that Trump had dinner with Forster on March 6 and both the president and his daughter Ivanka are pictured on the evening with the ambassador.
The president also came into contact with Brazilian Press Secretary Fabio Wajngarten, who later tested positive, on March 7.
Trump also attended a dinner on March 8, after which one of the attendees was also diagnosed. It’s not clear who that attendee is.
Forster was the third person over the space of a weekend that Trump and members of the first family encountered who have since tested positive for the deadly coronavirus.
Ivanka has now had several brushes with the coronavirus including with Australian Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton days before he tested positive.
She stayed home on Friday but is showing no symptoms, does not need to self-quarantine and stayed home out of an abundance of caution, the White House said.
As of Monday morning there are more than 4,100 confirmed coronavirus cases in the US and 71 people have died
