President Trump
Tries to Mouse-Trap Hantavirus Fears …
‘I Hope It’s Fine’!!!
Published
May 11, 2026
11:29 AM PDT
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President Donald Trump says the U.S. has the hantavirus situation under control … but he admits there’s only so much he can do as fears grow over the deadly cruise ship outbreak.
Trump addressed the increasing panic Monday from the Oval Office … telling reporters, “I hope it’s fine,” while insisting the country is in “very good shape” — despite the virus, which comes from contact with infected rodent waste, spreading aboard the stricken cruise ship MV Hondius.
POTUS added … “All I can do is everything that a president can do, which is actually somewhat limited.”
Trump downplayed the overall threat … pointing to the fact hantavirus traditionally doesn’t spread easily between humans — though the Andes strain linked to the cruise ship outbreak is the one known version capable of transmitting through close contact involving bodily fluids.
As we reported … 17 American passengers from the MV Hondius are now back in the U.S. after being evacuated from the ship, where at least three people died and eight others were infected during the outbreak. One returned passenger has already tested positive, while another is reportedly showing symptoms and being monitored in a specialized quarantine unit.
At least 23 passengers on the Hondius got off the ship during a stop on the remote Atlantic island of Saint Helena in April — despite the fact people onboard had already gotten sick and at least one passenger had died. The outbreak has sparked serious COVID flashbacks worldwide … though the World Health Organization says it still doesn’t meet the criteria for a pandemic.
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Trump, meanwhile, says he’s got no regrets about pulling the U.S. out of the WHO during his presidency.
“It’s a lot of money and we weren’t being treated well,” he said Monday when asked whether the U.S. should rejoin the organization amid the crisis.
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