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Donald Trump has told supporters at his rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma that he asked for the rate of coronavirus testing to be slowed down because there were so many positive cases being found in the United States.
Repeating a point he has previously made, he suggested that the reason the US is leading the world in the number of infections and deaths is because so much testing has been done.
He said: “Testing is a double-edged sword. We’ve tested now 25 million people. It’s probably 20 million people more than anybody else. Germany’s done a lot, South Korea’s done a lot – they call me and say ‘The job you’re doing …’.
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“Here’s the bad part: when you do testing to that extent, you’re going to find more people, you’re going to find more cases. So I said to my people, slow the testing down please.”
The US has at least 2.2 million confirmed cases, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and at least 119,000 deaths.
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1/16
A Trump supporter sits in the upper rows of the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally. There were reports of far lower numbers attending than the president’s team had predicted
Getty Images
2/16
Donald Trump points to his shoe at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma during a lengthy explanation of why he walked so carefully on a ramp at West Point military academy a week earlier
Getty Images
3/16
A police officer gestures during a Black Lives Matter event near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump
AP
4/16
Trump supporters take their seats in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president. Many people in the crowd were choosing not to wear face masks despite medical recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic
AP
5/16
Merchandise vendors wearing face masks at the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a Donald Trump rally
Getty Images
6/16
Trump supporter Scott Hilliard, left, argues with Black Lives Matter protester Eugene Smith near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president
AP
7/16
A Trump supporter and a Black Lives Matter protester face off in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump
AFP via Getty Images
8/16
A protester shouts at Donald Trump supporters outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
9/16
Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s second son, in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally
AP
10/16
A woman wearing a T-shirt with the message ‘I Can’t Breathe’ is arrested after refusing to leave the area outside the rally, which she said she had a ticket for
AFP via Getty Images
11/16
A woman speaks to police officers during a protest against racial injustice outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
12/16
Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s campaign manager, in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of the president’s first rally in three months
Getty Images
13/16
A protester against racial injustice is arrested outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
14/16
A Trump supporter wearing a Make America Great Again cap speaking outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
15/16
Trump supporters wait to enter a rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma
AFP via Getty Images
16/16
Donald Trump supporters and opponents clash outside the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of an election rally by the president
AP
1/16
A Trump supporter sits in the upper rows of the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally. There were reports of far lower numbers attending than the president’s team had predicted
Getty Images
2/16
Donald Trump points to his shoe at a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma during a lengthy explanation of why he walked so carefully on a ramp at West Point military academy a week earlier
Getty Images
3/16
A police officer gestures during a Black Lives Matter event near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump
AP
4/16
Trump supporters take their seats in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president. Many people in the crowd were choosing not to wear face masks despite medical recommendations during the coronavirus pandemic
AP
5/16
Merchandise vendors wearing face masks at the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a Donald Trump rally
Getty Images
6/16
Trump supporter Scott Hilliard, left, argues with Black Lives Matter protester Eugene Smith near the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by the president
AP
7/16
A Trump supporter and a Black Lives Matter protester face off in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally by Donald Trump
AFP via Getty Images
8/16
A protester shouts at Donald Trump supporters outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
9/16
Eric Trump, Donald Trump’s second son, in the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of a campaign rally
AP
10/16
A woman wearing a T-shirt with the message ‘I Can’t Breathe’ is arrested after refusing to leave the area outside the rally, which she said she had a ticket for
AFP via Getty Images
11/16
A woman speaks to police officers during a protest against racial injustice outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
12/16
Brad Parscale, Donald Trump’s campaign manager, in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of the president’s first rally in three months
Getty Images
13/16
A protester against racial injustice is arrested outside a Donald Trump rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
14/16
A Trump supporter wearing a Make America Great Again cap speaking outside a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma
REUTERS
15/16
Trump supporters wait to enter a rally at the BOK Center in Tulsa, Oklahoma
AFP via Getty Images
16/16
Donald Trump supporters and opponents clash outside the BOK Centre in Tulsa, Oklahoma ahead of an election rally by the president
AP
Worldwide there have been 8.9 million cases and 466,000 deaths.
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While rates are going down in many countries and some parts of the US – including New York, previously the epicentre of the pandemic – some states have been registering record one-day rises.
Tulsa county itself, where the president was holding his first campaign rally in three months, saw a record rise on Friday, as did Florida, Arizona, Nevada and South Carolina. The number of cases has also been going up in Texas.
Many supporters at the rally were choosing not to wear face masks or observe social distancing, despite pleas by health experts and politicians.
The CDC has suggested the US death toll could hit 145,000 by 11 July.
