With the president attempting to withhold funding from the World Health Organization, questions naturally arise as to where responsibility for the rapid spread of the novel coronavirus lies.
[White House press briefing, 14 April 2020]
"All right, I'll take one more question. Yes?"
"Mr. President, who was responsible for the slow response to the coronavirus threat?"
"Yes."
"What?"
"WHO."
"That's what I'm asking."
"That's what I'm telling you. WHO was responsible."
"Do you have an answer to the question, sir?"
"WHO."
"Yes, that's what we'd all like to hear. Who was responsible?"
"Thank you, that's what I've been saying all along."
"Sir, who said on January 22nd that the situation was totally under control?"
"That sounds about right."
"But who said it?"
"Yes, and they made a lot of mistakes before and after that too. Horrible mistakes."
"So you agree there were mistakes?"
"Of course! And people need to know WHO was responsible."
"And that was ... who?"
"Yes!"
"Mr. President, who was informed in a memo dated January 29th that the coronavirus presented a dire security threat to the United States?"
"Right, and believe me, they should have paid attention."
"Who?"
"That's what I said!"
"Tens of thousands of unnecessary deaths, sir. Who gets the blame?"
"Yes! Aren't you listening?"
"Answer the question please, sir. Who?"
"Are you deaf and blind? I'm standing right in front of you!"
"Mr. President, in your opinion, who will be hurt by this suspension of funding you've announced?"
"I certainly think so, and they deserve it!"
"Who?"
"Exactly! And the American people, they're going to thank me for it. Why don't you report that for a change? No more questions."
[end of press briefing]