President Donald Trump made an off-color joke about models during Friday afternoon’s coronavirus task force briefing.
Trump was discussing the different models used to predict the possible patterns the coronavirus pandemic could follow when his tone suddenly lightened and he referenced models of the human variety. (RELATED: CNN’s Acosta Interrupts Dr Birx As She Discusses The WHO’s Handling Of Coronavirus Pandemic)
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The question, fielded first to Dr. Deborah Birx, was whether the virus’ trajectory as predicted so far remained accurate.
Birx said that there were a number of different models that showed different possibilities, but cautioned that predictions based on those models could be changed — for better or for worse — by behavior patterns. “All of that can be changed by our behaviors,” Birx explained. “And it can be changed in a different way if we do not follow those behaviors.”
“The models show hundreds of thousands of people are going to die and you know what I want to do? I want to come way under the model,” Trump said.
“The professionals did the models. I was never involved in a model. At least this kind of a model,” he added.
Trump concluded by returning to his initial statement saying again that he wanted the United States to come in well under the predicted number of deaths. “I want very few people, relative to what the models are saying. Those are projections. I hope they are wrong. I hope we will be under those projections,” he said.