Trump's Virus Task Force Coordinator Just Contradicted Trump on Testing in Leaked Private Call With U.S. Governors

it's been months since Americans heard from Dr. Deborah Birx or from the White House virus task force as a whole.

The once-daily briefings have been virtually abandoned despite nationwide spikes of the virus, but Birx is still in correspondence with governors across the country, and in recent recommendations, she contradicted statements made by President Donald Trump.

At a sparsely-attended "comeback" rally, the President made the shocking assertion that he'd told officials to slow the testing down, emphasizing that testing is a "double edged sword" because increased testing means more documented cases, which make the President look bad.

The White House insisted that the President's comments were "in jest," only for the President to say he wasn't. Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the most trusted members of the virus task force, said that Trump never asked him to slow down the testing and he didn't think Trump asked anyone else to either.

While Trump has frequently spoken out against expanded testing, calling it "overrated," Dr. Birx said quite the opposite in a call to governors.

According to the Daily Beast, Dr. Birx said in the call to governors:

"Hopefully I have left you with the impression that increased testing is good. We would like to even see it even more. Identifying cases early including your asymptomatic [ones] will really help us protect the elderly and the additional people with comorbidities."

She reiterated the importance of expanded testing, emphasizing its role in identifying asymptomatic carriers of the virus and preventing them from spreading it unknowingly.

People noticed the opposition.

Some think Birx's standard recommendation for expanded testing will be enough to get her fired.

People are largely dissatisfied with the President's handling of the virus.

The President is speaking at a youth event in Arizona today. Thousands are expected to pack into the indoor space in a state that's seen record high new cases of the virus.