McConnell: “Good idea” to focus briefings on experts, not Trump

Even Mitch McConnell seems to think it’d be wise for President Trump to scale back his time behind the White House podium. The Senate majority leader said Monday that it would “probably be a good idea” to focus coronavirus briefings on public health experts, rather than the president, whose fact-challenged scientific claims often steal the spotlight. 

Fox News Radio’s Guy Benson asked McConnell if it would be “wise” for the White House’s coronavirus briefings to be shortened, or to not have the president show up every day.

“Well, certainly what the American people are most interested in is the advice from health professionals about how to conduct their daily lives safely,” McConnell, a Kentucky Republican, told Fox News Radio. “To the extent that the White House decides to re-craft those briefings to reflect that goal — would probably be a good idea.”

Mr. Trump has dominated the daily press briefings, often overshadowing and contradicting the medical advice from Coronavirus Task Force experts such as Dr. Anthony Fauci, Dr. Deborah Birx and Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams. The president habitually attacks the press and spreads falsehoods during briefings that sometimes last up to two hours. Republicans in private are reportedly nervous that the president’s performance will have consequences in the November election.

The pressure peaked after Mr. Trump speculated at a briefing last week about injecting disinfectant into patients — something that health experts warned is dangerous and potentially deadly. Some states reported a flood of calls from citizens apparently confused by the president’s advice.

After that uproar, the president tweeted that the briefings are not “worth the time & effort,” canceled a weekend briefing, and canceled Monday’s briefing as well — before abruptly un-canceling it and appearing before reporters hours later.