A question about the ongoing violence in the Democratic Republic of Congo took an unexpected turn Monday when President Donald Trump abruptly brought up Ebola.
White House correspondent Hariana Verás had been pressing Trump about Rwanda’s alleged violations of a peace agreement when he suddenly asked, “How is Ebola going?”
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Verás, the first African journalist accredited to the White House, initially praised Trump’s efforts to broker peace between Congo and Rwanda. She then pointed out that the agreement, signed by the countries’ presidents in December and again in March, has made little progress as more than seven million people remain displaced by the conflict.
Trump said he would intervene if officials confirmed that Rwanda had violated the deal. “So, well look, I just heard about it a little while ago, if there’s a problem we’ll stop it,” he said.
Verás then shared what she had personally witnessed during a recent trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, saying she saw continued killings of Congolese people. “And I have evidence,” she told the president.
Trump responded by asking, “How is Ebola going?”
Verás said the outbreak was “under control,” referencing a recent conversation with the World Health Organization’s director at the United Nations. She nevertheless warned that Congo still needs support to address Ebola, while emphasizing that the ongoing war remains a far more urgent crisis.
Trump replied, “I’ll make sure it works out,” before moving on to another journalist.