Trump, At CDC, Offers Scattershot Defense Of Virus Response

President Donald Trump holds a picture as he speaks during a meeting with Gov. Brian Kemp, R-Ga., left, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Robert Redfield, Associate Director for Laboratory Science and Safety Steve Monroe, about the coronavirus at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director, Friday in Atlanta.

Alex Brandon / Associated Press

Updated Friday at 6:26 p.m.

President Donald Trump’s visit to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on Friday turned into a scattershot defense of his administration’s handling of the growing coronavirus crisis, veering into political digs and detours.

Trump, wearing his “Keep America Great” campaign hat while discussing the global worry, tried once more to quell growing alarm about the spread of the virus in America. But he quickly ventured into side matters and political squabbles.