President Trump, who has said he has “one of the greatest memories of all time,” said Thursday that he doesn’t know and doesn’t remember whether he was tested for COVID-19 on the day of the first presidential debate. Mr. Trump made the remarks during an NBC News town hall with Savannah Guthrie that was scheduled after the second presidential debate was canceled.
The White House and the president’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, have repeatedly declined to say when the president’s last negative test was. Candidates were supposed to be tested ahead of the September 29 debate, but the president arrived too late to be tested on-site and the honor’s system was used instead.
Mr. Trump announced early on October 2 that he tested positive for COVID-19. One of his top aides, Hope Hicks, was pulled from a trip to New Jersey for a fundraiser on October 1 after testing positive for COVID-19.
The president did admit to Guthrie that he isn’t always tested every day.
Mr. Trump also said scans detected his lungs were “a little bit different” and perhaps “infected,” although the president didn’t seem to know how they were possibly infected.
The president also questioned whether masks are effective, something he’s long been doing. Mr. Trump wore a mask only a handful of times before his COVID-19 infection. The president said “people with masks are catching it all the time.”
Mr. Trump was hospitalized for four days with COVID-19. The first lady and their son, Barron, also tested positive for COVID-19. They have all since tested negative for COVID-19.