DGA Statement on President Trump’s Testing Comments At Tulsa Rally

At a campaign rally in Tulsa, President Trump mocked COVID-19 testing, saying he told his staff: “Slow the testing down, please.” Trump’s team tried to defend the comment as a joke, but Trump has frequently claimed if we stopped testing, we’d have very few cases and refused to clarify his comments in an interview released today. We’re not laughing – COVID-19 cases are on the rise in many states, and over 119,000 Americans have died.
DGA Vice Chair New Mexico Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham released the following statement in response to the President’s comments:
“The president has made his disinterest in addressing the pandemic and protecting public health abundantly clear. His latest comment — ‘joke’ or not — is more of the same. He has never delivered a national testing strategy; he hasn’t taken responsibility; and he has disregarded basic safety precautions both personally and institutionally. It should go without saying: Testing and tracing are vital to combating the coronavirus. New Mexico’s early and aggressive testing strategy saved hundreds of lives. And in my state we continue to expand our efforts to wrap our arms around the extent of this disease. Accurately gauging the incidence and spread of the virus is the only way we can continue to reopen safely and begin the work of rebuilding our economy.
“Had the Trump administration taken similar steps at the federal level, the United States would be in a better position to control the outbreak, protect families and begin the long climb to recovery. Instead, states have been left to manage on their own, and the opportunity for proactive prevention work is gone. The American people deserve answers — do Republican elected officials agree that testing for COVID-19 should be slowed? Or do they endorse this dangerous rhetoric?”