Trump Suggested Trying to Inject Disinfectant Into People to Cure COVID-19 and the Internet Had a Field Day With It
Donald Trump's latest controversy involves him musing that injecting yourself with disinfectant can possibly beat the coronavirus. Yep, you read that right.
On Thursday (April 23), the President of the United States, who, to be clear, has no medical qualifications or training, wondered aloud whether folks could inject disinfectant products (like Lysol and Clorox) into their bodies to potentially cure COVID-19.
"I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute," Trump said during the White House's latest press briefing. "And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning?"
"Because you see it gets inside the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that," he continued.
Then, when William Bryan, head of the Department of Homeland Security, clarified that cleaning our lungs with a disinfectant is not possible, Trump replied: "Maybe it works, maybe it doesn't work."
Things got worse from there. Trump also declared that ultraviolet light from the sun can kill the deadly virus.
Naturally, the internet had a field day with his comments.
Even celebrities could not believe the president's outrageous suggestion.
Following a flurry of backlash and ridicule, Trump later claimed his remarks were "sarcastic," stating, "I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen."
U.S. Surgeon General Jerome M. Adams also addressed Trump's comments via Twitter, urging Americans to speak to a health provider before "administering any treatment."
"A reminder to all Americans: PLEASE always talk to your health provider first before administering any treatment/ medication to yourself or a loved one," he tweeted. "Your safety is paramount, and doctors and nurses are have years of training to recommend what’s safe and effective."
Meanwhile, Lysol released their own statement, writing, "Under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion or any other route)."