Donald Trump holds up a picture alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar (L) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention officials, CDCP headquarters, Atlanta, Georgia, March 6, 2020 (Alex Brandon/AP)

Frustrated and concerned, US officials are telling the media how Donald Trump is fueling the Coronavirus crisis with mismanagement and false statements.

In the latest incident, Health Secretary Alex Azar had to walk back Trump’s declaration on Friday, as he toured the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, that “anyone who wants a test can get a test”.

Azar said in an off-camera briefing at the White House, “You may not get a test unless a doctor or public health official prescribes a test. That is our medical system in the United States, in the same way that you may not get a cardiac medicine if your doctor doesn’t prescribe that.”

The US is facing a serious shortage of tests after the Administration refused the World Health Organization lab tests, and chose an alternative that proved to be faulty.

Pence said on Thursday, “We don’t have enough tests today to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward.”

More than 100 new cases were announced in the US on Saturday, including dozens in New York State. Two deaths in Washington State raised the national total to 19.

On Friday, Trump insulted Governor Jay Inslee of Washington State, where the virus first spread in the US, as a “snake”. Inslee has been widely praised for his leadership as the state tries to cope with the Federal Government’s mishandling of the emergency.

Trump also undercut the plan of Vice President Mike Pence and the Department of Health to evacuate 3,533 passengers from a Corpnavirus-stricken cruise ship off the coast of California. The measure would help avoid a virulent spread of the virus on the vessel.

Trump objected:

Do I want to bring all those people off? People would like me to do it. I would rather have them stay on, personally. I don’t need to have the numbers double because of one ship that wasn’t our fault.

He later said he had empowered Pence to make the decision.

Trump Causing “Clearly Difficult Siutation”

One advisor said Trump’s reactions led aides to discourage Azar from briefing him about the Coronavirus threat in January: “Trump’s created an atmosphere where the judgment of his staff is that he shouldn’t need to know these things.”

Officials said they succeeded in getting Trump to lock down travel from China, appealing to him with the line of “border security”. But they failed to get him to approve community testing that could have uncovered a US outbreak.

From his first belated statement on February 26, Trump has minimized Coronavirus, saying it was under control.

He continued that line on Friday and Saturday, “A vast majority are going to be fine….I’m not concerned at all.” He defied the shortage of tests, saying the program was “amazing” and the test “perfect”.

Trump falsely blamed the Obama Administration for a delay in testing. Two officials said the program could have been launched weeks ago if Trump and the White House felt it necessary.

Trump’s camp have propped him up by turning against Azar, describing him as “alarmist”. As Trump contradicted his top medical advisors, supporters have spread conspiracy theories, alleging that the CDC’s Nancy Messonnier is part of the “deep state” trying to overthrow Trump.

The offense of Messonier — the sister of former Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein — was to evaluate on February 25, “It’s not so much of a question of if [Coronavirus in the US] will happen anymore, but rather more of a question of exactly when this will happen.”

See also TrumpWatch, Day 1,134: Coronavirus — Trump on Defensive as Stock Market Plunges

A former official summarized how Trump and his inner circle might shut down an effective response:

It’s a clearly difficult situation when the top wants to hear certain answers. That can make it difficult for folks to express their true assessment — even the most experienced and independent minds.

Governor Inslee, insulted by Trump, summarized on Twitter: