Trump trade adviser: Rally comment on reducing Covid testing was just a joke

White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said Sunday that President Donald Trump was only joking when he said he asked his administration to slow down coronavirus testing for the sake of optics.

Speaking with CNN's Jake Tapper on "State of the Union," Navarro repeatedly said, "Come on now, Jake. You know it was tongue in cheek. Come on now. That was tongue in cheek," cutting off Tapper as he repeatedly asked about the president's remarks.

"I don't know that it was tongue in cheek at all," Tapper retorted.