Since Donald Trump is now officially the 2024 Republican nominee for president, it may be useful to remind ourselves of what very likely were the stupidest thoughts ever articulated by a sitting president. Of course, I am referring to Trump’s proposed treatment of Covid by bringing “light inside the body” and “injection” of disinfectants. These shocking remarks led many to question whether the president’s intellectual maturity was even at the level of a five-year-old.
Background
During a White House Coronavirus Task Force press briefing on April 23, 2020, Donald Trump made the following remarks
“So, supposedly we hit the body with a tremendous, whether it’s ultraviolet or just very powerful light, and I think you said that hasn’t been checked, but you’re going to test it. And then I said supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way.”
Followed by
“And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning, because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that, so that you’re going to have to use medical doctors with, but it sounds interesting to me. So, we’ll see, but the whole concept of the light, the way it kills it in one minute. That’s pretty powerful.”
Trump’s Defenders
It has been fascinating to witness Trump loyalists attempt to spin these remarks into anything other than sheer stupidity.
- They argue that he was misunderstood. In some sense, I agree — rambling nonsense is bound to be misinterpreted.
- They split hairs, insisting, “He never actually said ‘inject household disinfectants.’”
- Trump himself claimed he was sarcastically mocking the press.
Above all else, however, they would simply like to pretend that it never happened.
Obvious Responses
When someone insists that Trump was misunderstood or emphasizes that he didn’t literally say “inject disinfectant,” I like to ask, “What do you think he meant?” I have yet to hear a coherent response to this question and Trump supporters often seem uncomfortable even considering an answer.
I also like to ask — If Trump’s remarks were so reasonable, why was he clearly defensive the following day when he claimed that he was being sarcastic? It is worth noting, incidentally, that it was obvious from his demeanor that he was entirely serious. I suggest watching the video, but only if you have a high “cringe” tolerance.
Finally, repeating the premise that if what he said was so reasonable, why were the press briefings, which, until that point, had been held daily (including weekends), abruptly terminated? The answer is obvious — damage control. Trump may have been oblivious to the problem, but his handlers knew better.
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