Not worth the time: US President Donald Trump discontinues media briefings after disinfectant gaffe

Two days after US President Donald Trump sparked a huge furore by suggesting that coronavirus COVID-19 patients might be injected with disinfectant, the president on Saturday (April 25) tweeted that his daily coronavirus briefings with the media were not worth his time and effort.

"What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately," Trump wrote.

"They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!," he added.

President Trump left everyone surprised on Thursday by saying during his media briefing that doctors might treat people infected with the coronavirus by shining ultraviolet light inside their bodies, or with injecting them with household disinfectant.

"Then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks (the virus) out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs," he said.

After facing strong criticism from  medical experts and disinfectant manufacturers, Trump on Friday defended himself saying he had been speaking "sarcastically." But he limited that day's press meet to just 19 minutes and did not take any questions from reporters. And on Saturday President Trump did not attend the press briefing which is surprising because he has been attending media briefings for nearly two months.