Maryland governor said 'hundreds' called in to ask whether ingesting Clorox or alcohol-based cleaning products would help them fight the coronavirus after Donald Trump's remarks

Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan said Sunday that the state received 'hundreds' of calls from residents asking if they should ingest cleaning products after President Trump floated the idea at a briefing on Thursday. 

'We had hundreds of calls come into our emergency hotline at our health department asking if it was right to ingest Clorox or alcohol cleaning products, whether that was going to help them fight the virus,' Hogan, a Republican, said on ABC's 'This Week.' 

At the Thursday briefing, Trump mused that light or injecting disinfectant could be a way to kill the virus. 

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Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan appeared on ABC's 'This Week' and said the state had received 'hundreds' of calls 'asking if it was right to ingest Clorox or alcohol cleaning products, whether that was going to help them fight the virus' 

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On Thursday, President Trump mused that light or injecting disinfectants might be a way to kill the coronavirus 

He was being told about how the virus could be killed on surfaces. 

But Trump suggested those same means could be used to kill the virus in the body. 

'Supposing we hit the body with a tremendous - whether it's ultraviolet or just very powerful light,' Trump said. 'Supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or in some other way.' 

'Then I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute,' the president continued. 'And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs.' 

Dr. Deborah Birx, a member of his coronavirus who was seated in the briefing room, tried to warn Trump off of his musings as she explained this wasn't meant as a treatment. 

Hogan said Trump's comments forced his government to act.  

'So we have to put out that warning to make sure that people were not doing something like that which would kill people actually to do it,' Hogan told ABC News' George Stephanopoulos. 

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On Friday, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency put out a warning telling residents 'that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route' 

Trump says he was being sarcastic about disinfectant injections

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On Friday, the Maryland Emergency Management Agency sent out a tweet telling people 'that under no circumstances should any disinfectant product be administered into the body through injection, ingestion or any other route.'  

Stephanopoulos asked the governor how he explained Trump doing something like that.  

'I can’t really explain it, George,' Hogan replied. 'Look, I think the president’s got to focus on the message, stick to the message and make sure that these press conferences are fact-based.' 

'I think other people in the administration have been trying to make that clear to him as well,' Hogan continued.  

'We saw a different kind of a press conference yesterday which I think may be showing that there’s going to be a different trend in the future,' the Republican added. 

The president didn't take questions at his press conference on Friday - and kept his remarks brief. 

Some of his other briefings had been hitting the two-hour mark. 

This weekend he tweeted that he would stop holding the briefings because he didn't like the press coverage he was receiving in the aftermath of making the confused comments.  

'What is the purpose of having White House News Conferences when the Lamestream Media asks nothing but hostile questions, & then refuses to report the truth or facts accurately. They get record ratings, & the American people get nothing but Fake News. Not worth the time & effort!' Trump wrote.  

There was not one on the schedule on Saturday or Sunday.