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President Donald Trump shakes hands with Doug McMillon, president and CEO of Walmart Inc.Alex Brandon/AP
President Trump—modeling exactly the behavior health experts have been warning us to avoid—just shook the hands of five top CEOs and adjusted the microphone for them all at his coronavirus press conference this afternoon.
Trump also touched the hand of Anthony Fauci, head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and gave Vice President Pence a firm pat on the shoulder. The press conference was meant to make the nation feel confident that Trump’s on top of the situation—never mind that he’s been in close contact with a Brazilian official who tested positive for the disease, then freely shared his germs with the other speakers at a dense press gathering on the White House lawn.
Finally, Bruce Greenstein of LHC group forced Trump to do an elbow-bump instead, quipping, “Practice that one.”
Uh… please wash those hands. pic.twitter.com/57erHMhiwK
— Mother Jones (@MotherJones) March 13, 2020