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  • President Trump downplayed the threat of the Corona virus on Monday, and we're also learning more about a potential exposure in the White House.

  • This as I mentioned as a members of Congress Self quarantine Paula Reed has the latest on the new questions the Trump Administration is facing about the outbreak.

  • As he returned to the White House this afternoon, President Trump waved but refused to take questions.

  • No on Twitter.

  • He continues to downplay the global epidemic, accusing Democrats and the media of trying to inflame the Corona virus situation that directly contradicts members of his own administration.

  • Make no mistake, this is a very serious health problems president, also publicly defying government recommendations on hygiene.

  • It sounds simplistic, but it's true washing of hands.

  • And now CBS News has learned the president may have been exposed to the virus himself.

  • At least four members of Congress have decided to self quarantine after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for Cove in 19.

  • The contact occurred at a conservative convention in Washington less than two weeks ago.

  • One, Georgia's Doug Collins, could be seen here with the president on Friday, and Florida's Matt Gates traveled on Air Force One with the president just today and announced his self quarantine roughly an hour after landing.

  • Gates made fun of the Corona virus response last week when he wore a biohazard mask on the house floor.

  • Mats Slap, who oversaw the conservative convention, is also in self quarantine.

  • His wife, Mercedes, was expected to be part of a Women for Trump bus tour with the president's daughter in law.

  • The tour has now been delayed even as the president has yet to curtail his own campaign travel.

  • And Valerie joins me now from the White House.

  • Paula.

  • We just saw the president and members of the Corona Virus Task Force.

  • They say that they're going thio meet with members of Congress and their going toe way further economic measures.

  • What else came from this briefing?

  • The biggest surprise, of course, wasn't appearance by person and Trump, who is not expected at this briefing.

  • Though he did not take any questions, he left that to the vice president and others.

  • It's pretty significant that the president has not to get any questions from reporters despite having an opportunity in the briefing room.

  • We greeted him as he returned to the White House, and he was with the traveling press pool earlier in Florida.

  • So on a day when the Corona virus is spreading, markets are tumbling, the prices and oil are going down.

  • It's surprising that the president did not take the opportunity to answer any questions to help calm Americans.

  • But it's significant here that the president is going ahead to the Hill tomorrow with his economic team to seek a possible payroll tax cut.

  • Because up until now, the president and his top economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, they have expressed some skepticism about any kind of broad intervention or broad economic relief.

  • Last week, Larry Kudlow told us that if they did anything, it would be narrowly tailored, and he wasn't even willing to say what specifically they dio and long for the past.

  • Oh, Mr past year, this White House has been trying to figure out what other kind of tax relief they could offer.

  • But they didn't actually think that they could get anything done with a payroll tax cut.

  • The even contemplated for about a minute, possibly doing capital gains tax cut because they thought they could do that from the White House without any support from Congress.

  • So be very interesting to see how this goes tomorrow in the head, the hill to talk to Republicans.

  • And then when they try to get support from Democrats to try to get this through Yeah, you mentioned that it was odd that the president didn't take questions from reporters.

  • And I have to say that I thought it was a little odd that he left before the end of the briefing.

  • Were you given any indication of why the president had to leave or why he left?

  • So this is just a sneaky trick that administration officials it's not exclusive to the Trump administration folks.

  • The Obama administration used to do this, too.

  • They will come out.

  • They will take advantage of the attention of the cameras.

  • They will say their piece and then they will get out of there before reporters start yelling questions.

  • But as you heard in the briefing, there was an uproar.

  • People started yelling questions.

  • They wanted answers from the president.

  • But I've seen other officials, in addition to the president, try to do this.

  • It's it's something that we do not appreciate because the understanding is if you come to the briefing room, we will give you the publicity, the attention, amplify your message.

  • But in exchange, we expect the alliance, or at least some of our questions.

  • Uh, well, I'm also wondering, What's the Trump administration doing to try and prevent the virus from spreading within the White House?

  • Well, it's interesting.

  • The White House is telling foreign officials not to visit and said, trying to do their meetings over the phone or video conference.

  • But President Trump has some events.

  • Later on this week, he is headed to Las Vegas for a fundraiser and a speaking engagement, and we're told that he still wants to carry on with that trip.

  • And Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Cesar was appointed by President Trump Toe lead, a Corona Virus Task Force.

  • Polly.

  • You tried to ask him some questions about Corona virus testing on Monday.

  • What happened?

  • I did.

  • We were all waiting for him traditionally, that when officials come down here to these tents to do cable news appearances, the understanding is that if you speak to that one or two outlets use the CNN or Fox that you will speak to all the other outlets to you.

  • Stop it a microphone stand.

  • There are agreements about where they stand agreements about how far we can chase them.

  • And he did not stop to talk to us.

  • We were pretty upset because this is a significant day.

  • He talked to Fox and Fox business for extended interviews, but then made us wait until after the markets closed to answer a lot of pressing questions that people had specifically were interested in where these tests were.

  • Apparently they shipped a 1,000,000 tests.

  • Well, are they in transit?

  • Have they arrived?

  • These were very significant questions that we wanted answers, too.

  • So we did not let him up.

  • Hook.

  • He came.

  • He gave comments and ran a rape.

  • Wait before you ask questions, but I chased him.

  • Good for you, Paula.

  • Thanks so much.

President Trump downplayed the threat of the Corona virus on Monday, and we're also learning more about a potential exposure in the White House.

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