Nick Ferrari wins argument with caller over Trump's disinfectant comments

27 April 2020, 14:13

Nick Ferrari wins argument with caller over Trump's comments

By Fiona Jones

Nick Ferrari took on a caller who defended President Trump's "clearly sarcastic" suggestion that injecting disinfectant might be a viable Covid-19 treatment.

US President Donald Trump has also backtracked on his apparent suggestion in Thursday evening's White House press conference to irradiate patients’ bodies with UV light as a treatment to the virus, insisting it was "sarcasm."

Caller Nick defended this backtrack and told Nick Ferrari it was "clear" the President was not serious.

Nick Ferrari reminded him the President had said these medically dangerous measures were worth “taking a look at”.

“What Donald Trump suggested was if chemicals in cleaners kill the virus, if those chemicals themselves could be made human-friendly, could those human-friendly variants on the chemicals be used on a virus killer,” the caller said, “as a concept that’s not a bad idea.”

Nick Ferrari told the caller that for broadcast regulation purposes he actually has to advise people not to inject themselves with disinfectant after the President’s words.

Donald Trump asks if "injecting disinfectant" is a possible treatment for COVID-19

“Do you not find it absolutely staggering that the President of the United States would suggest that and then starts talking about Nobel Prises which journalists don’t even win?” he asked, incredulous, and played the caller Mr Trump’s comments.

Caller Nick insisted that the President’s suggestion to “check” whether disinfectant intravenously could work was not a firm endorsement.

“My dear fellow, you will kill yourself if you inject yourself with Harpic,” said Nick, “why even float the idea?

“Apparently he was being sarcastic, which is what a nation needs at a time like this, nothing better than a good dose of sarcasm where people are dying in their tens of thousands, we all need sarcasm.”

The caller conceded that this was a “weak excuse” and segued into defending the President over his comments that real journalists should have won the “Noble Prize” in a world that he believes is popularising fake news.

LBC’s Nick was pointed out that not only would journalists win the Pulitzer Prize, not the Nobel Prize, the President couldn’t even spell it: “You don’t think it’s quite potent that the most powerful man in the world can’t spell Nobel Prize?”

The caller pointed out that his comments were valid all the same.

Nick reminded him, and listeners once again, not to inject themselves with disinfectant.

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