Even As White House Staff Downplays Testing Remarks, Trump Doubles Down On Messaging

Reuters: White House: Trump Did Not Direct Virus Testing Slowdown, Does Not Regret 'Kung Flu' Remark
President Donald Trump has not directed any slowdown in coronavirus testing and does not regret using the term “kung flu,” which many consider to be offensive, to describe the virus, the White House said on Monday. The Republican president said at a political rally in Oklahoma on Saturday that he had directed his people to slow down testing for the virus because the process had led to an increased number of known COVID-19 cases.The White House said at the time that he was kidding and made clear on Monday that no such request was made. (Mason and Holland, 6/22)

ABC News: White House Claims Trump Just Joking When He Said He Ordered COVID Testing Slowdown 
"No, he has not directed that," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in an exchange with ABC News’ Ben Gittleson in Monday’s press briefing and added that "any suggestion that testing has been curtailed is not rooted in fact." "It was a comment that he made in jest," she also said. (Phelps and Gittleson, 6/22)

The Associated Press: Trump: US Doing 'Too Good A Job' On Testing
President Donald Trump said Monday the United States has done “too good a job” on testing for cases of COVID-19, even as his staff insisted the president was only joking when he said over the weekend that he had instructed aides to “slow the testing down, please.” The president’s comments at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, on Saturday brought quick rebukes from the campaign of likely Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden as well as scores of Democratic lawmakers. (Freking, 6/22)

Politico: White House Delivers Mixed Explanations On Trump's Vow To Slow Down Testing
Scientists and even politicians in states like Florida, where the uptick in cases has been especially severe, have said the recent spike in coronavirus cases cannot solely be explained by an increase in testing. But Trump did not deny asking his staff to slow down testing when questioned during a Monday interview with Scripps’ Joe St. George. “If it did slow down, frankly, I think we’re way ahead of ourselves, if you want to know the truth.” Trump said. “We’ve done too good a job.” (Cohen, 6/22)

CBS News: Trump Draws Criticism For Suggesting A Slowdown In Coronavirus Testing
Kate Bedingfield, deputy campaign manager for Biden's campaign, said in a statement that Mr. Trump's comment was "outrageous" and his handling of the coronavirus pandemic "catastrophic mismanagement." "This virus has killed nearly 120,000 Americans and cost tens of millions their jobs, in large part because this president could not and would not mobilize testing as quickly as we needed it," Bedingfield said. "To hear him say tonight that he has ordered testing slowed — a transparent attempt to make the numbers look better — is appalling." (Quinn, 6/22)

NPR: White House Defends Trump's Use Of Racist Phrase About Coronavirus 
The White House on Monday denied any malicious intent behind President Trump's use of the racist term "kung flu" this weekend to describe the deadly coronavirus pandemic, saying that the president had no "regrets putting the onus back on China" for the deadly virus. "It's not a discussion about Asian Americans, who the president values and prizes as citizens of this great country. It is an indictment of China for letting this virus get here," White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said at the Monday news briefing. (Wise, 6/22)

Politico: McEnany Defends Trump's 'Kung Flu' Comment At Rally
The phrase has been identified by many — including counselor to the president Kellyanne Conway — as racist. But McEnany insisted on Monday that the president's remark was far from out of line even as she avoided directly answering questions as to whether the term is indeed racist. “It's a fair thing to point out as China tries to ridiculously rewrite history, to ridiculously blame the coronavirus on American soldiers,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters during a news briefing, rejecting reporters’ characterization of the remark as racist. “President Trump is trying to say, 'no, China, I will label this virus for its place of origin.'” (Oprysko, 6/22)

The Wall Street Journal: White House Defends Trump Comments On ‘Kung Flu,’ Coronavirus Testing
Democratic lawmakers, activists and experts have said the phrase, a reference to Chinese martial arts, is rooted in racist stereotypes about Asian people.“121,000 Americans are dead. Thousands died alone. Isolated. Families could not grieve. Donald Trump’s response is to make racist jokes,” Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D., Ill.) said on Twitter. “He is linking it to its place of origin,” Ms. McEnany said, arguing that Mr. Trump was stressing that the virus started in China. Later, she said, “The president does not believe it’s offensive to note that the virus came from China.” (Restuccia, 6/22)

Reuters: Two More Trump Campaign Staff Members Test Positive For Coronavirus
“After another round of testing for campaign staff in Tulsa, two additional members of the advance team tested positive for the coronavirus,” spokesman Tim Murtaugh said. “These staff members attended the rally but were wearing masks during the entire event.” The White House and Trump campaign largely brushed away concerns ahead of the event about holding a rally with thousands of people despite warnings from health officials against gathering in large groups. (6/22)

The New York Times: Two More Trump Staff Members Test Positive For Coronavirus After Tulsa Rally
Two Trump campaign staff members who attended the president’s indoor rally in Tulsa, Okla., on Saturday night tested positive for the coronavirus, a spokesman said Monday, despite earlier assurances that a small outbreak among campaign workers had been contained and no staffers who had tested positive had entered the arena. The two workers, members of the campaign’s advance team, tested positive when “another round of testing” was conducted after the rally, according to Tim Murtaugh, the campaign’s communications director. He said the staff members in question had attended the event, but had worn masks the entire time. (Karni, 6/22)

NBC News: 2 More Trump Campaign Members In Tulsa Test Positive For Coronavirus
Trump over the weekend fumed at his top political aides after the news about the six staffers broke, multiple people close to the White House told NBC News. Trump asked those around him why the information was exposed and expressed annoyance that coverage of the lead-up to his rally was dominated by that revelation. (Alba, Lee and Smith, 6/22)

The New York Times: White House Eases Virus Restrictions Except For Those Around Trump
The White House on Monday began easing up on restrictions that have been in place since Washington officials instituted a stay-at-home order in the city in March in response to the coronavirus. Temperature checks for visitors to the complex will be scaled back, allowing many White House staff members who have been teleworking to return to their offices, and the cafeteria in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building, across the street from the West Wing, will be reopened. But assuring that President Trump and Vice President Mike Pence will not be exposed to the virus by visitors will remain a priority. (Karni, 6/22)

The Hill: Pence, In Call With Governors, Defends Trump Comments On Coronavirus Testing 
Vice President Pence while on a conference call with governors on Monday defended President Trump's recent comments downplaying the importance of coronavirus testing, according to a source on the call. Nevada Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) told Pence that Trump's comments at his campaign rally over the weekend in Oklahoma, where the president called testing a "double-edged sword" and quipped that he told aides to "slow the testing down," were "not helpful," the source said. (Samuels, 6/22)