“Has the president been perfect in his communication? I would say he hasn't communicated the way I would and the way I might like him to,” he added. “But I think the rest of the team has been doing a pretty good job.”

Trump has made multiple statements regarding the outbreak that have been contradicted or clarified by officials in his administration, including assertions that the epidemic had already peaked. The president also claimed on Friday that “anyone who wants a test can get a test.”

Pence had acknowledged on Thursday that there weren’t enough tests “to meet what we anticipate will be the demand going forward,” and health officials on Saturday noted that a test must be prescribed by a doctor.

Surgeon General Jerome Adams said on CNN’s “State of the Union” he’d seen no indication that people who need tests can’t get them. He also said the U.S. would have the ability to test millions more people by the end of the week.

Trump also called Washington Gov. Jay Inslee “a snake” over his criticism of the president’s handling of the crisis. “I told Mike [Pence] not to be complimentary of that governor because that governor is a snake,” Trump said Friday.

Inslee, a Democrat, called the presidential barbs “background noise” on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” His state has been hardest hit by the epidemic with 16 deaths.

"I really don't care too much what Donald Trump thinks of me, and we just kind of ignore that. It is background noise because we really need to work together, Republicans and Democrats. This is a national crisis,” Inslee said.

