The Debacle Over Trump's Coronavirus Test

Update: Trump’s test was negative, according to the White House.

President Trump announced Saturday, after days of questions about whether he should get tested for the novel coronavirus, that he took a test Friday night and is awaiting results.

If the episode says anything at all about the broader handling of the crisis, that would be very disconcerting.

Questions about whether Trump should take the test began after an attendee of the Conservative Political Action Conference last month tested positive. High-ranking Republicans who interacted with the person chose to self-quarantine. Trump interacted with a number of those who self-quarantined, including Rep. Douglas A. Collins (R-Ga.), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and American Conservative Union head Matt Schlapp.

Trump also hosted an event at Mar-a-Lago recently where he was pictured with a Brazilian official who we later learned had the coronavirus. Two others who were at Mar-a-Lago have also been diagnosed, including a Brazilian who sat at Trump’s table.

Trump’s potential exposure has been established for more than a week. Yet he shrugged off questions about whether he would take a test.