Tricksy medias, preciousss!

Trump yesterday:

Time Magazine:

Five hours later, when a reporter asked Trump at the White House if the country would reach five million daily tests, as the Harvard study recommended, Trump responded: “We’ll increase it, and it’ll increase it by much more than that in the very near future.” Asked to clarify if he meant the U.S. would “surpass 5 million tests per day”, Trump said, “We’re going to be there very soon.”

CNBC:

President Donald Trump said Tuesday the U.S. will “very soon” run 5 million coronavirus tests per day, even as the lack of testing remains an obstacle for many states anxious to reopen for business.

“We’ll increase it, and it’ll increase it by much more than that in the very near future,” Trump said when a reporter asked if he’s confident the U.S. will reach 5 million tests per day, as some health experts say would be required to “reopen” the country.

CBS, citing the official White House transcript:

Reporter: "Did I hear you saying you're confident you can surpass 5 million tests per day?  Is that —"

President Trump: "Oh, well, we're going to be there very soon.  If you look at the numbers, it could be that we're getting very close.  I mean, I don't have the exact numbers.  We would've had them if you asked me the same question a little while ago because people with the statistics were there. We're going to be there very soon.  We're really — we're really doing — I mean, I watched your report on NBC today and it was an incorrect report, because we're really doing a great job on testing..."

But he just answered a question about 5 million tests without ever saying the words "5 million tests," so it's a "media trap."

CNBC, again:

“Somebody came out with a study of 5 million people. Do I think we will? I think we will, but I never said it,” Trump claimed during an event at the White House on Wednesday. “Somebody started throwing around 5 million. I didn’t say 5 million,” the president insisted, adding, “Well, we will be there. But I didn’t say it. I didn’t say it.”

CBS, again:

On Tuesday when a reporter asked in an East Room event whether the U.S. would surpass 5 million coronavirus tests per day, the president said that's coming "very soon." But on Wednesday, the president claimed he never said that, blaming a "media trap."

Tricksy medias.....