Donald Trump Gives Eerie Reply When Asked About Containing Hantavirus: 'We'll Do the Best We Can'

President Donald Trump gave an alarming response to questions about the current hantavirus outbreak, saying, not very convincingly, that the deadly virus is "very much, we hope, under control" following a briefing on the situation.

Speaking to reporters at the Lincoln Memorial on Thursday, May 7, he said, "It should be fine," and that many "great people" are currently studying the virus.

When asked whether Americans should be concerned about the virus spreading, the POTUS responded, "I hope not, I mean I hope not. We'll do the best we can.”

He also indicated that a "full report" regarding the situation, specifically concerning an outbreak on a cruise ship, would be released shortly.

The president's remarks come amid news of a hantavirus outbreak on a cruise ship — the MV Hondius — which has seen several confirmed cases and at least three deaths.

Health experts note that while certain strains, such as the Andes virus found in this outbreak, can rarely spread person-to-person, the overall public health risk remains low.

The virus, which is transmitted primarily through contact with infected rat and rodent urine, saliva, or droppings, comes as the Trump administration and HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. laid off the civilian staff within the CDC's Vessel Sanitation Program (VSP), which is responsible for inspecting cruise ships and investigating illness outbreaks.

The epidemiologist who led the CDC’s response to the cruise ship outbreak was among those dismissed in early 2025.

Former officials and public health experts have warned that the loss of civilian support staff severely compromises the agency's ability to conduct on-site inspections and manage rapidly spreading outbreaks.

Doctors have also expressed concern regarding the United States' preparedness to handle a hantavirus outbreak under the Trump administration, citing budget cuts to health agencies and the U.S. withdrawal from the World Health Organization.

Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo of the Infectious Diseases Society of America stated that cuts to agencies such as the CDC and USAID have left the U.S. unprepared.

“We are not going to know when the next concerning outbreak ... happens, and we won't be able to prepare with a drug or vaccine or whatever response is appropriate,” Marrazzo said in January, expressing deep concern that the U.S. withdrawal from WHO and a pullback in global surveillance would leave health officials "flying blind."

Social media isn't too confident in Trump’s ability to handle the hantavirus, with many saying they’d heard this before, referring to his handling of COVID, which he initially dismissed as a hoax and the flu.

Approximately 400,000 to 450,000 Americans died of COVID-19 during Trump's first presidency.

“Just like COVID. Where he acknowledged the severity behind closed doors (all recorded by Woodward) and then pretended it wasn’t a thing and did nothing. So, yeah, we are not in good hands,” said motivational speaker Matthew Foley.