Politics
AP Photo/Alex Brandon
LHC Group's Bruce Greenstein elbow bumps with President Donald Trump during a news conference about the coronavirus in the Rose Garden at the White House, Friday, March 13, 2020, in Washington.
- President Donald Trump attempted to shake hands with a home health care company executive during a Friday press conference, but the man turned the president down and offered him an elbow bump instead.
- Trump has refused to stop shaking hands with people, violating health officials' recommendations to limit person-to-person contact, as the highly infectious coronavirus spreads rapidly through the US.
- Rapper Cardi B posted video footage of herself laughing about the encounter.
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President Donald Trump attempted to shake hands with a home health care company executive during a Friday White House press conference, but the executive turned the president down and offered him an elbow bump instead.
The president accepted Bruce Greenstein's alternative greeting, saying, "Oh, okay, I like that. That's good."
Trump has refused to stop shaking hands with people, violating health officials' recommendations to limit person-to-person contact, as the highly infectious coronavirus spreads rapidly through the US.
Trump shook hands with several other CEOs and officials at the televised briefing in the Rose Garden, prompting widespread criticism of his hygiene practices.
Vice President Mike Pence had begun elbow-bumping some people he met, but this week he said he is "still shaking hands here at the White House."
"As the president has said, in our line of work you shake hands when someone wants to shake your hand," Pence said during a Tuesday news conference. "I expect the president will continue to do that. I'll continue to do it."
Some made fun of the awkward moment online.
Rapper Cardi B posted video footage of herself laughing about the encounter.
US health officials, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, are urging Americans to limit person-to-person contact, particularly among those 60 years of age or older, who are significantly more vulnerable to the Covid-19 illness. The president is 72.
EVP of home health care services company Bruce Greenstein offers Pres. Trump an elbow bump after speaking at WH Rose Garden press conference, during which @POTUS declared a national emergency in response to coronavirus outbreak https://t.co/FUR5cMnxiL pic.twitter.com/kdjyTl56cc
- CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) March 13, 2020