Manchin says Trump ‘totally wrong’ on testing

Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) dismissed President Trump’s claims of widely available coronavirus testing in an interview Thursday with The Hill’s Steve Clemons.

Trump is “totally wrong … he is absolutely wrong,” Manchin said, in reference to the president’s claims that “anybody who wants a test can get a test.”

“I’ve had poor people, people over West Virginia call me, say Joe — I need a test, I want to get a test,” Manchin said. “They said, well, bring your insurance card and get your doctor’s referral. These are people that use emergency rooms, they don’t have a family physician and you want them to get a doctor’s referral before you’ll test them? Come on.”

Manchin added that he had instructed constituents who need tests but are unable to get them to contact him, saying his staff is working in all of West Virginia’s 55 counties.

He also blasted Gov. Jim Justice (R) and other governors he said were still “sitting on” federal funds for testing.

“They’re hoping they’re going to get relief to where they can use part of it. I want them to have flexibility to be able to balance their shortfalls,” Manchin said, referring to efforts in the Senate to give state leaders a freer hand with the funds meant fight the coronavirus.

“But the other $500 [million] or $600 million could go out to all the counties and all the municipalities that are having extreme difficulties in keeping all their services up: first responders, health care, basically police protection, sanitation, all these things. So, they better get on the ball here and get things moving,” he added.