• As President Donald Trump contines to share disinformation on coronavirus, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham is urging the commander-in-chief to listen to the science.
  • “I listen to the scientists when it comes to the numbers, and I would encourage the president if he’s going to report things to make sure the science is behind what he’s saying,” Graham said Thursday.
  • This came after Trump told Fox News he had a “hunch” the death rate from the novel coronavirus was lower than what the World Health Organization has reported.
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Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham on Thursday encouraged President Donald Trump to ensure that the science is behind any statements he makes about it

“I listen to the scientists when it comes to the numbers, and I would encourage the president if he’s going to report things to make sure the science is behind what he’s saying,” Graham, who is often one of Trump’s fiercest defenders in Congress, told reporters.

This came as Trump has shared a slew of disinformation on COVID-19, the disease caused by the virus, including during a Wednesday night interview with Sean Hannity on Fox News.

During the Hannity interview, Trump challenged the World Health Organization's numbers on the death rate from coronavirus.

The global death rate for the novel coronavirus is 3.4%, according to the latest figures.

But Trump told Hannity he has a "hunch" that it's lower.

"Well, I think the 3.4% is really a false number," Trump said. "Now, this is just my hunch, but based on a lot of conversations with a lot of people who do this, because a lot of people will have this and it's very mild. They'll get better very rapidly. They don't even see a doctor."

The novel coronavirus, which originated in Wuhan, China, has killed more than 3,300 people and infected nearly 97,000. There have been at least 11 deaths from coronavirus in the US.