President Donald Trump has been criticized for his comments on disinfectant as a possible COVID-19 treatment option. Hillary Clinton, his rival in the 2016 presidential race, warned people not to poison themselves by following Trump’s statements.
During a White House briefing on April 23, Donald Trump mused if disinfectants and sunlight can be used as a treatment after a presentation by a Department of Homeland Security official on their effects on the virus. “I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute,” the POTUS said, according to the Hill. “One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning?”
Hillary Clinton mocked Trump by warning people on Twitter not to poison themselves, a reference to the President's comments about disinfectants. “Please don’t poison yourself because Donald Trump thinks it could be a good idea,” the former Secretary of State tweeted.
However, Donald Trump Jr. was not pleased with the tweet mocking his father. According to Washington Examiner, Trump Jr. responded with a tweet that “implied former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton had something to do with the death of convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.”
“We know, we know… poison is reserved for a long list of people like Jeffrey Epstein… and servers. Am I right?” Donald Trump Jr. posted on Twitter.
Trump’s statement also prompted Lysol manufacturer Reckitt Benckiser to issue a statement to clarify the proper usage of its product. “As a global leader in health and hygiene products, we must be clear that under no circumstance should our disinfectant products be administered into the human body (through injection, ingestion, or any other route),” the company said on a statement on Friday.
The company also encouraged users of its products to read their labels for more information. “As with all products, our disinfectant and hygiene products should only be used as intended and in line with usage guidelines,” Reckitt Benckiser added. “Please read the label and safety information.”
President Donald Trump later explained that he was just being sarcastic when he made the comment. “I was asking a question sarcastically to reporters like you just to see what would happen,” he told CBS News' Weijia Jiang.