In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, then-President Donald Trump drew widespread criticism for musing during a press briefing about the possibility of injecting disinfectant, like bleach, into the body to treat the coronavirus. His remarks were met with immediate outrage from the medical community, cleaning product manufacturers, and public health officials, who issued urgent warnings that ingesting or injecting disinfectants is toxic and potentially fatal.
What Trump said
During the White House coronavirus task force briefing on April 23, 2020, Trump floated the idea while discussing research presented by a Homeland Security official about how sunlight, heat, and disinfectants kill the virus on surfaces.
Trump's exact comments included:
"And then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?"
He later added, "It would be interesting to check that."
Public reaction and health warnings
Widespread condemnation: Medical experts and officials, including White House Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx, immediately rejected Trump's suggestion. Dr. Birx, who was present at the briefing, reacted with visible discomfort during his comments.
Manufacturers issue warnings: Companies like Reckitt Benckiser, the maker of Lysol and Dettol, released statements clarifying that their products should never be administered to the human body.
Increased poison control calls: Reports from several states, including Maryland and Illinois, indicated a surge in calls to poison control centers related to disinfectant exposure in the days following Trump's remarks