CNN doctor demands Anthony Fauci 'fess up on whether Trump slowed coronavirus testing

On CNN's "OutFront" Monday, Jonathan Reiner, a health analyst and former cardiologist to Dick Cheney, demanded the Trump administration give answers on whether President Donald Trump deliberately obstructed COVID-19 testing in the United States, as he claimed at his rally in Tulsa.

"Dr. Reiner, this as the president says, it is a joke, the comment he made on testing," said host Erin Burnett. "All of his team are saying it's a joke. It's pretty clear to me it is not a joke because he said the same thing dead seriously in different ways six other times. Do you think in any way he was just trying to be funny?"

"No, not at all," said Reiner. "A week ago in The Wall Street Journal, the president was quoted as calling testing, quote, 'overrated.' One of our original sins of our pandemic response is our slow ramp-up of testing. Many wonder whether all of the difficulties could be attributed to incompetence, and now we hear the president basically state that he has instructed his people to slow testing."

"The first patient in the United States tested positive on January 20," said Reiner. "On March 1, the day the first patient tested positive in New York, the U.S. had only done a total of 8,000 tests. And during that time the virus was multiplying everywhere. So to hear that the president has perhaps slowed testing ... is mind-boggling. It is a dereliction of duty."

"I'd like to know from people like Tony Fauci and Deborah Birx and Secretary Azar and FDA Commissioner Hahn whether they were ever told to slow testing in the United States," added Reiner. "This is really a breach of trust."

Watch below: