Nancy Pelosi challenges Trump over slowing down virus testing

U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has lashed out at President Trump for wanting to “slow down” on coronavirus testing.

At his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma Saturday, Trump defended his performance on handling the pandemic but said widespread testing is making him look bad.

“You’re gonna find more people, you’re gonna find more cases. I said to my people, ‘Slow the testing down, please,’” he said.

Pelosi vowed to get answers from the Trump administration later this week.

“Testing, tracing, treatment and social distancing are the only tools we have to stop the spread of the coronavirus, but President Trump orders his Administration to slow down the testing that saves lives,” she said in a statement.

“The American people are owed answers about why President Trump wants less testing when experts say much more is needed.”

Mrs. Pelosi, a California Democrat, said that members of the president’s coronavirus task force will have to answer for his remarks when they testify this week in front of the Energy and Commerce Committee.

Trump already faced a wave of backlash for holding the poorly attended rally without social distancing, despite cases of COVID-19 still rising the country.

The U.S. has tested over 25 million people for the coronavirus.

It holds a world record of 2.34 million confirmed cases and about 122,000 deaths, according to data from worldometers.info.