“That’s Been the Story of Life”: Trump on Why Rich People Are Getting Tests First

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As news emerges every day of asymptomatic professional athletes and celebrities testing positive for the coronavirus, ordinary Americans are struggling to access tests. At a White House press conference Wednesday, NBC’s Peter Alexander asked President Trump the question that’s been on everyone’s mind: “Do the well-connected go to the front of the line?”

“Well, you have to ask them that question,” Trump said. “I mean, I’ve read—.”

“Should that happen?” Alexander asked.

“No, I wouldn’t say so,” Trump replied. But, as usual, the rich have easy access to services working class people struggle to find. “But perhaps that’s been the story of life. That does happen on occasion and I’ve noticed where some people have been tested fairly quickly.”

Watch the video below:

DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

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DONALD TRUMP & DEMOCRACY

Mother Jones was founded to do journalism differently. We stand for justice and democracy. We reject false equivalence. We go after stories others don’t. We’re a nonprofit newsroom, because the kind of truth-telling investigations we do doesn’t happen under corporate ownership.

And we need your support like never before, to fight back against the existential threats American democracy faces. Fundraising for nonprofit media is always a challenge, and we need all hands on deck right now. We have no cushion; we leave it all on the field.

It’s reader support that enables Mother Jones to report the facts that are too difficult, expensive, or inconvenient for other news outlets to uncover. Please help with a donation today if you can—even a few bucks will make a real difference. A monthly gift would be incredible.

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