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President Donald Trump's allies are urging him to blame China for the virus that's killed over 60 thousand Americans in an effort to distract from his own administration's initial dismissals and bungled response that's since necessitated nationwide stay-at-home orders and the unemployment of millions.
It hasn't been difficult for Trump, considering how inclined he is to blame others for his shortcomings.
When answering questions for reporters on Thursday, the President claimed he'd seen evidence that the virus was made by Chinese scientists at the Wuhan Institute of Technology. Trump said he was "not allowed" to say what the evidence was.
That's when Fox News's White House Correspondent John Roberts pointed to a statement from the Acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell, and things got awkward.
Watch below.
JOHN ROBERTS: The Director of National Intelligence put out a statement saying they think the coronavirus was naturally occurring
TRUMP: Who?
R: It was a statement from the DNI office
TRUMP: Oh, he would know that, huh?
R: That would be your Director of National Intelligence pic.twitter.com/ihBTp9HxVe
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 30, 2020
Roberts pointed to Grenell's statement, which said:
"The Intelligence Community ... concurs with the wide scientific consensus that [the virus] was not manmade or genetically modified."
Trump dismissed the statement, asking who specifically made it, before sarcastically saying:
"He would know that, huh? National Intelligence, okay. So we'll see."
Roberts reminded Trump that his own National Intelligence Director gave the statement, before Trump said he'd have to look at it.
People couldn't help but roll their eyes.
Remember how Trump said he didn’t think the American people would elect an incompetent president? https://t.co/i9HICLnTts— Chris Geidner (@Chris Geidner) 1588299620.0
You really have to listen to it. "Oh, he would know that huh, national intelligence" in the tone of my grandmother… https://t.co/c6gfNEl6cb— Dan Murphy (@Dan Murphy) 1588345218.0
Did Trump forget who appointed the National Intelligence Director?
Not just any DNI! His handpicked, servile henchman Richard Grenell. https://t.co/FQg3LnXZmP— digby (@digby) 1588305947.0
It's just endless...endless. Trump dismisses even people he's appointed, which here is the Director of National Int… https://t.co/E4NHtoIpQD— The Randy Report (@The Randy Report) 1588289698.0
What. A. Mess.
For a deeper look into the ineptitude of Trump's administration, check out A Very Stable Genius, available here.