Donald Trump encouraged Americans to self-isolate and “enjoy their living room” as the country battled to slow the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, with more than 4,500 confirmed cases nationwide and at least 95 deaths.
The president told reporters during a press briefing on Tuesday that his administration was considering providing US military assistance to states battling severe outbreaks of the new coronavirus, as New York and California announced major shutdowns for some of the largest cities in the country. His administration also said it was considering sending checks to all Americans in an effort to slow the economic downturn seen in recent days as the pandemic moved society to a screeching halt nationwide.
The House of Representatives meanwhile passed an emergency relief package late on Monday, which now moves on to the Senate, as the government seeks $850bn (£704bn) to battle the disaster. The latest developments come as three states across the country hold their Democratic primaries, with several others delaying their votes due to the pandemic.
Defence Secretary Mark Esper also said on Tuesday that the Pentagon will provide civilian health authorities with five million respirator masks and 2,000 specialized ventilators to help in a national response to the pandemic.
Mr Esper told Pentagon reporters that the ventilators are designed for use by deployed troops and the military will need to train civilians on how to use them. He said some may have "single-use" limitations. And he said the first million respirator masks will be made available immediately.
US officials have talked about the shortage of ventilators to help treat patients with the virus.
Mr Esper stressed that although the Defence Department is prepared to help civilian authorities in any way possible, there are limitations to the assistance and trade-offs that must be considered. "We want to be the last resort", he said, adding that the first line of defense in fighting the virus should be state and local authorities.
Mr Esper also said he has asked the Navy to prepare its two hospital ships — the USNS Mercy in San Diego and the USNS Comfort in Norfolk, Virginia — for deployment. He said the Pentagon will also talk with state and local leaders to see if there is any need for field hospitals.
He said the field units could be used to take the pressure off local hospitals by locating them nearby and using them to perhaps treat trauma patients. Doing so, he said, could free up hospital rooms so they could be used for infectious patients.
The Pentagon has said its hospital ships and field units are designed mainly for treating combat casualties and have areas where multiple patients are together in one room. As a result, they aren't set up to handle patients who need isolation.
Mr Esper made clear that the Pentagon expects to be part of the COVID-19 fight for the long haul, even as it reports increasing numbers of military members being stricken by the disease. The Pentagon said that as of Tuesday morning, 36 military members had been confirmed as having the virus, up from 18 the day before. On Tuesday the Navy reported two sailors had tested positive for the virus — one aboard the USS Coronado and another aboard the USS Ralph Johnson.
Mr Esper said he is considering activating National Guard and Reserve units to help states with planning, logistics and medical support as needed.
"As we get requests in we will look at activating, if we need to, at the federal level or using the Reserves - whatever the case may be", he said.
Additional reporting by AP, See live updates as they came in below.
Hello and welcome to The Independent's rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in the United States and the effort to contain its spread by the Donald Trump administration.
Trump admits coronavirus 'out of control' in drastic change of tone
Donald Trump has admitted that the coronavirus outbreak is “not under control for any place in the world”, striking a drastic change of tone on the crisis as he advised the elderly to stay indoors and all people to avoid restaurants and inessential travel and to limit gatherings to no more than 10 people.
Donald Trump has admitted that the coronavirus outbreak is “not under control for any place in the world”, striking a drastic change of tone on the crisis as he advised the elderly to stay indoors and all people to avoid restaurants and inessential travel and to limit gatherings to no more than 10 people.
The president for the first time acknowledged that the pandemic may send the economy into a recession and suggested that the nation may be dealing with the virus until "July or August."
The guidelines were released on Monday to an uneasy country. The stock market had its worst day since 1987, America's largest school system shut its doors and questions remained about the administration's ability to test for the virus and provide hospital space for those who fall ill.
"We will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus," Trump said. "We can turn the corner and turn it quickly."
The president, when asked when the pandemic would subside, said that "if we do a really good job" the crisis could pass by the height of summer. Dr Anthony Fauci, the administration's infectious disease expert, did not challenge that claim.
Trump's prediction was far less optimistic than his earlier ones, when he insisted it could be over in weeks. He also acknowledged that the virus may send the nation's economy into a recession, a potentially brutal blow for an incumbent seeking re-election.
That admission was startling for Trump, who for two weeks had struck a discordantly optimistic tone about the pandemic that endangered his presidency.
He said he did not yet plan to call for domestic travel restrictions while his administration made pointed appeals to millennials to stop socialising and risk spreading the virus. He was reluctant to advise states to cancel the primary elections ahead. And without providing details, he said "we're going to back the airlines 100 per cet," a note of reassurance for an industry crippled by travel bans and fears of spreading the virus.
The expansive guidelines were issued on a day of fast-moving developments in a capital resplendent in cherry blossoms but awash in anxiety.
As Congress convened to try and push through an emergency relief bill (more on which imminently), the Supreme Court postponed oral arguments for the first time since the Spanish flu epidemic of 1918 and the US surgeon general, Dr Jerome Adams, said that the United States is about where Italy was two weeks ago in the coronavirus struggle, a sign that infections are expected to rise.
Phil Thomas has this on the president's latest briefing, as the country's total number of cases hiits 4,477 with 87 deaths recorded.
House passes emergency relief package as Schumer says $750bn still needed
The House of Representatives violated Trump's stricture on crowd sizes to convene en masse on Capitol Hill yesterday to pass an emergency relief package, which now moves on to the Senate, where Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer says an additional $750bn (£616bn) bailout will be required.
That would constitute the most dramatic stimulus effort seen since the Great Recession of 2009.
Top White House officials briefing Senate Republicans at the Capitol agreed a similar-sized package needs to pass, some suggesting in a matter of days.
The House of Representatives violated Trump's stricture on crowd sizes to convene en masse on Capitol Hill yesterday to pass an emergency relief package, which now moves on to the Senate, where Democratic minority leader Chuck Schumer says an additional $750bn (£616bn) bailout will be required.
That would constitute the most dramatic stimulus effort seen since the Great Recession of 2009.
Top White House officials briefing Senate Republicans at the Capitol agreed a similar-sized package needs to pass, some suggesting in a matter of days.
"ASAP," White House economic adviser Larry Kudlow said late on Monday. "There's an urgency."
The rush to inject cash and resources into the economy is an effort unlike any since the 2008 financial crisis, with political and economic interventions and eye-popping sums to try to protect Americans from the health and financial fallout.
Treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin will return on Tuesday to meet with Senate Republicans to launch the effort. "We've got a lot of work to do from here," Mnuchin told reporters.
Senators returned to an emptied out US Capitol, clear of tourists or colleagues from the House, to confront an even more dire situation than the one they left for a long weekend, before Trump declared a national emergency.
The House-passed aid package awaiting their consideration offers sick pay, free testing and emergency food and is endorsed by Trump and ready to become law.
But action on it was stalled for much of the day on Monday as the Senate waited on the House for technical corrections as Republicans and a leading small business group raised objections, a setback only resolved late in the evening with a House voice vote of approval. Senate passage could follow as early as Tuesday.
All sides - the House, Senate and White House - agree the pending bill is not the last and not nearly enough to handle what's coming. At the start of the month, Congress approved $8.3bn (£6.8bn) in initial aid. Trump quickly signed into law the measure, which provided federal agencies money for vaccines, tests and potential treatments, and funding to help state and local governments respond to the threat.
"We will need big, bold, urgent federal action to deal with this crisis," Schumer said on Monday.
Schumer floated the Democrats' proposal for at least $750bn to boost hospital capacity, unemployment insurance and other direct aid for American households, businesses and the health care industry. Republican senators conferred privately over their priorities.
Republicans often reluctant to spend federal dollars did not flinch at the head-spinning number, as a roster of America's big and small industries - airlines, hotels, retailers - lined up for aid.
Utah GOP senator Mitt Romney called for sending $1,000 (£826) to every adult American.
The president conveyed that lawmakers should "not be impeded by the price tag," said Eric Ueland, the White House legislative director.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said he wants a "comprehensive" approach with "significant steps" for the economy, particularly Main Street businesses. He opened the Senate on Monday with a message to Americans: "The Senate stands with you."
The days ahead will test whether Congress can quickly respond to the crisis.
Industries representing a broad swath of the economy are seeking help in withstanding the fallout as schools close and Americans are being told to stay inside, skip nonessential travel and avoid gatherings with 10 people or more.
That means no dining out, no boarding planes, no shopping the malls as a great national shutdown sparks business closures, layoffs and lost paychecks for rents, mortgages and everyday needs.
The nation's largest business organisation, the US Chamber of Commerce, asked the Trump administration and Congress on Monday to act rapidly to help companies have access to cash and avert a "potentially devastating" hit to the economy.
The request from the US airlines alone could easily top $50bn (£41.3bn), according to Airlines for America, the trade group representing the carriers.
In a letter to Trump and congressional leaders, the Chamber of Commerce called for legislation including a three-month cancellation of the taxes companies pay to support Social Security, Medicare and unemployment insurance.
"No family and no business should go bankrupt just because of the temporary disruption in income caused by the coronavirus," said the chamber's CEO, Thomas J Donohue.
The nation's governors were also calling on Congress to swiftly bring economic aid, particularly for the unemployment insurance system to help displaced workers, and fast.
"We need a better response from the federal government," said Rhode Island governor Gina Raimondo, a Democrat. "I am out of patience."
Pulling together the new package will challenge the basic logistics of governing as Congress itself struggled to adapt to the new normal.
House Democrats were told on a conference call they won't be recalled to Washington until the next package is ready for action, according to people familiar with the call but unauthorised to discuss it and granted anonymity.
The 100-member Senate convened for an evening vote - a potentially stunning sight in the new era of social distancing. While different authorities around the country have issued conflicting advice, the Trump administration said at a Monday news conference that Americans should not gather in groups of more than 10 people over the next 15 days.
The deputy Senate Democratic leader, Dick Durbin of Illinois, counting the number of senators on the floor, questioned what example they were setting. He urged swift passage of the House package. "What are we waiting for?" he asked.
Despite Trump's robust support, a handful of Republicans said they wanted to make changes in the House-passed measure. "It doesn't go far enough," said Arkansas GOP senator Tom Cotton.
In addition, the National Federation of Independent Business, which counts hundreds of thousands of small-business members, initially opposed it.
White House immediately breaks own rules on public gatherings
The president did not entirely change his act on Monday, however, rating his own performance in response to the disaster at 10 out of 10 – in spite of the heavy criticism he and his administration have received in recent weeks - and again offering fresh self-contradiction by allowing his 16-strong task force to attend his press conference, at which he advised against gatherings of more than 10.
His newly serious, even somber tone also did not entirely meet with approval.
"I'm not sure a change in tone makes up for a kind of complete lack of leadership that the country has seen in the first few weeks of this crisis," commented Princeton presidential historian Julian Zelizer.
Here's John T Bennett on Trump making a rare concession and conceding their could be a recession as a result of all of this horror.
His newly serious, even somber tone also did not entirely meet with approval.
"I'm not sure a change in tone makes up for a kind of complete lack of leadership that the country has seen in the first few weeks of this crisis," commented Princeton presidential historian Julian Zelizer.
Here's John T Bennett on Trump making a rare concession and conceding their could be a recession as a result of all of this horror.
Trump offends China with latest virus tweet
The president also stayed true to form by offending China on Twitter, calling Covid-19 "the Chinese virus" in a tweet.
The president also stayed true to form by offending China on Twitter, calling Covid-19 "the Chinese virus" in a tweet.
Here's Kate Ng with the understandly "very angry" reaction from Beijing and beyond.
Foreign disinformation campaign stoking virus fears, say US official
Yesterday, the White House National Security Council was forced to deny rumours being spread by text message that a national quarantine was imminent.
Yesterday, the White House National Security Council was forced to deny rumours being spread by text message that a national quarantine was imminent.
Now, three officials have told the AP they believe the messaging was part of an attempt by a rogue foreign government to stir up chaos among the American public over the coronavirus. Don't those tactics sound familiar?
With people queueing round the block for guns and ammo and stockpiling in the supermarkets, the strategy appears to have succeeded.
James Crump has more on this.
Trump administration 'seeking $850bn emergency stimulus package to tackle coronavirus'
That's what The Washington Post is reporting this morning, a figure in advance of that demanded by Chuck Schumer yesterday and larger than the total hinted at by National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow, underlining anew the gravity of the situation.
Remember when he said this was all a "hoax"?
That's what The Washington Post is reporting this morning, a figure in advance of that demanded by Chuck Schumer yesterday and larger than the total hinted at by National Economic Council director Larry Kudlow, underlining anew the gravity of the situation.
Remember when he said this was all a "hoax"?
President repeats China slur and attacks New York governor
Trump begins his day by going after New York governor Andrew Cuomo and repeating his racist insinuation that China somehow has ultimate responsibility for the outbreak - a clear attempt to distance himself from the narrative and appeal to the worst instincts of his base.
We've subsequently been treated to less controversial retweets from the White House, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Lindsey Graham endorsing his national emergency call, the latter coming literally seconds after he told Cuomo to "keep politics out of it".
Trump begins his day by going after New York governor Andrew Cuomo and repeating his racist insinuation that China somehow has ultimate responsibility for the outbreak - a clear attempt to distance himself from the narrative and appeal to the worst instincts of his base.
We've subsequently been treated to less controversial retweets from the White House, Centres for Disease Control and Prevention and Lindsey Graham endorsing his national emergency call, the latter coming literally seconds after he told Cuomo to "keep politics out of it".
Dow sinks to worst day since Black Monday
The Dow Jones plummeted 3,000 points on Monday, or 13 per cent, reflecting the market's worst one-day point drop in history amid the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped world economies and eliminated most of the stock gains on which Donald Trump has prided his presidency.
Monday's drop also marked the Dow's worst percentage drop since Black Monday in 1987.
Markets sank while the president was telling reporters that the economy is likely heading into a recession, warning Americans that an economic rebound from the coronavirus pandemic may not arrive until August or later.
Monday's drop came just one day after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to near-zero, a dramatic move that appeared to do little to restore confidence in the market, while cities and states across the US announced sweeping closures to avoid spreading the virus.
Alex Woodward reports.
The Dow Jones plummeted 3,000 points on Monday, or 13 per cent, reflecting the market's worst one-day point drop in history amid the coronavirus pandemic that has gripped world economies and eliminated most of the stock gains on which Donald Trump has prided his presidency.
Monday's drop also marked the Dow's worst percentage drop since Black Monday in 1987.
Markets sank while the president was telling reporters that the economy is likely heading into a recession, warning Americans that an economic rebound from the coronavirus pandemic may not arrive until August or later.
Monday's drop came just one day after the Federal Reserve slashed interest rates to near-zero, a dramatic move that appeared to do little to restore confidence in the market, while cities and states across the US announced sweeping closures to avoid spreading the virus.
Alex Woodward reports.
First volunteers receive experimental vaccine in Seattle
Public health officials said it will take between a year and 18 months to know if the vaccine will work.
That same city is meanwhile to begin handing out grocery store vouchers to hard-up families to tide them over during the current crisis.
Samuel Osborne has this report on the vaccine.
The first human trial of a vaccine to protect against the coronavirus has begun in the US.
Four patients received the jab at the Kaiser Permanente Washington Health Research Institute in Seattle, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Some 45 young and healthy volunteers will receive different doses of shots co-developed by NIH and Moderna.
“We all feel so helpless. This is an amazing opportunity for me to do something,” the study’s first participant, Jennifer Haller, 43, of Seattle told the agency before she was vaccinated.
Public health officials said it will take between a year and 18 months to know if the vaccine will work.
That same city is meanwhile to begin handing out grocery store vouchers to hard-up families to tide them over during the current crisis.
Samuel Osborne has this report on the vaccine.
Las Vegas casinos ask for financial support as outbreak hits tourist hotspots
The American Gaming Association (AGA) issued a statement to The Washington Post on Monday, saying that with the $260bn (£212bn) industry at a “near standstill”, additional funds are needed to support casino companies and their employees.
Casinos have joined the airline industry in asking congress for emergency financial help as Las Vegas and other tourist destinations take a severe hit from the coronavirus outbreak.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) issued a statement to The Washington Post on Monday, saying that with the $260bn (£212bn) industry at a “near standstill”, additional funds are needed to support casino companies and their employees.
“As state governments close casinos as a part of the urgent public health response to Covid-19, elected leaders should move just as urgently to support the workers and businesses who will bear the brunt of those effects,” said the AGA. “Our immediate priorities are actions that provide liquidity to allow us to support employees.”
Democratic primaries in chaos as Washington state declared for Joe Biden
The Democratic presidential primary is currently consumed with uncertainty after leaders in Ohio called off Tuesday's election just hours before polls were set to open, citing the need to combat the new coronavirus.
Officials in Florida, Arizona and Illinois said so far they will move forward with the vote.
Not since New York City postponed its mayoral primary on the day of 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center has an election been pushed off in such a high-profile, far-reaching way. Ohio governor Mike DeWine initially asked a court to delay the vote and when a judge refused to do so the state's health director declared a health emergency that would prevent the polls from opening.
The decision was a reminder that the most elemental act of American democracy - voting - will be severely tested on Tuesday as several states hold presidential primaries while also confronting the impact of a global pandemic. The contests are playing out as the virus' impact is becoming more tangible with schools closing across the country, workers staying home and restaurants and bars shuttering.
The rapidly shifting developments amounted to a kind of chaos rarely seen in an election season. And it may not end soon as some states that have presidential contests in the coming weeks have already moved to postpone them and others were being pressed to follow.
Campaigns spent Monday sifting through data and talking to contacts on the ground to assess the impact of the coronavirus on turnout in places that will hold elections on Tuesday. Former vice president Joe Biden is moving closer to securing the Democratic presidential nomination but could face a setback if the older voters who tend to support him don't show up. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, can't afford to lose support from young voters who have been his most loyal supporters.
The tumult has left the campaign in a state of suspended animation. In-person rallies have been replaced with sometimes-awkward virtual events.
Sanders, the last Democrat standing between Biden and the nomination, isn't planning to drop out. His campaign looked to have nowhere to go after a big loss last week in Michigan, and another blow landed on Monday night when Biden was declared the winner of the primary in Washington state, giving him victories in five out of six states that voted 10 March. Yet Sanders' top advisers see no downside to staying in the race as they assess how the coming days and weeks unfold.
Sanders staged a virtual rally on Monday night featuring himself, rocker Neil Young and activist actress Daryl Hannah. He also released a video criticising Biden for suggesting as a senator that he'd be willing to cut Social Security benefits - a line of attack he employed frequently during Sunday's debate.
"I don't have to tell anybody that we are living in a very unprecedented and strange moment in the history of our country," Sanders said, urging supporters that it may be time to "rethink our value system, rethink many of the systems we operate under."
Sanders' team had expected Biden to do well in all four states set to vote on Tuesday. But the Vermont senator has also cast some doubt about the entire process, saying no one should risk being infected while voting and noting that it's important "to make sure that everybody who wants to vote has the right to vote, and that may not be the case now."
Still, Sanders faces an increasingly tough path to the nomination. About half of the delegates in the Democratic primary have already been awarded and, if Biden has another big night Tuesday, he will pad an already large and perhaps insurmountable lead. Sanders trails Biden by more than 150 delegates nationally, meaning he'd need to win more than 57 per cent of those yet to be allocated to clinch the Democratic nomination.
Biden's campaign is trying not to look presumptuous about its prospects at this sensitive moment. Still, the former vice president is making moves to rally more voters to his campaign, including his announcement during the debate that he would choose a woman as a running mate.
Congressman Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, one of Biden's campaign co-chairs, said the former vice president has "started the process of looking at people seriously."
The Democratic presidential primary is currently consumed with uncertainty after leaders in Ohio called off Tuesday's election just hours before polls were set to open, citing the need to combat the new coronavirus.
Officials in Florida, Arizona and Illinois said so far they will move forward with the vote.
Not since New York City postponed its mayoral primary on the day of 11 September 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center has an election been pushed off in such a high-profile, far-reaching way. Ohio governor Mike DeWine initially asked a court to delay the vote and when a judge refused to do so the state's health director declared a health emergency that would prevent the polls from opening.
The decision was a reminder that the most elemental act of American democracy - voting - will be severely tested on Tuesday as several states hold presidential primaries while also confronting the impact of a global pandemic. The contests are playing out as the virus' impact is becoming more tangible with schools closing across the country, workers staying home and restaurants and bars shuttering.
The rapidly shifting developments amounted to a kind of chaos rarely seen in an election season. And it may not end soon as some states that have presidential contests in the coming weeks have already moved to postpone them and others were being pressed to follow.
Campaigns spent Monday sifting through data and talking to contacts on the ground to assess the impact of the coronavirus on turnout in places that will hold elections on Tuesday. Former vice president Joe Biden is moving closer to securing the Democratic presidential nomination but could face a setback if the older voters who tend to support him don't show up. Vermont senator Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, can't afford to lose support from young voters who have been his most loyal supporters.
The tumult has left the campaign in a state of suspended animation. In-person rallies have been replaced with sometimes-awkward virtual events.
Sanders, the last Democrat standing between Biden and the nomination, isn't planning to drop out. His campaign looked to have nowhere to go after a big loss last week in Michigan, and another blow landed on Monday night when Biden was declared the winner of the primary in Washington state, giving him victories in five out of six states that voted 10 March. Yet Sanders' top advisers see no downside to staying in the race as they assess how the coming days and weeks unfold.
Sanders staged a virtual rally on Monday night featuring himself, rocker Neil Young and activist actress Daryl Hannah. He also released a video criticising Biden for suggesting as a senator that he'd be willing to cut Social Security benefits - a line of attack he employed frequently during Sunday's debate.
"I don't have to tell anybody that we are living in a very unprecedented and strange moment in the history of our country," Sanders said, urging supporters that it may be time to "rethink our value system, rethink many of the systems we operate under."
Sanders' team had expected Biden to do well in all four states set to vote on Tuesday. But the Vermont senator has also cast some doubt about the entire process, saying no one should risk being infected while voting and noting that it's important "to make sure that everybody who wants to vote has the right to vote, and that may not be the case now."
Still, Sanders faces an increasingly tough path to the nomination. About half of the delegates in the Democratic primary have already been awarded and, if Biden has another big night Tuesday, he will pad an already large and perhaps insurmountable lead. Sanders trails Biden by more than 150 delegates nationally, meaning he'd need to win more than 57 per cent of those yet to be allocated to clinch the Democratic nomination.
Biden's campaign is trying not to look presumptuous about its prospects at this sensitive moment. Still, the former vice president is making moves to rally more voters to his campaign, including his announcement during the debate that he would choose a woman as a running mate.
Congressman Cedric Richmond of Louisiana, one of Biden's campaign co-chairs, said the former vice president has "started the process of looking at people seriously."
Only 37 per cent of US voters trust Trump's response to coronavirus crisis
Less than 40 per cent of Americans trust what Donald Trump says about the coronavirus outbreak and less than half approve of his response, according to a new poll out hours before the president called the disease a "Chinese virus."
A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released on Tuesday shows 45 per cent of registered voters approve of Trump's handling of the public health crisis, which has closed restaurants, bars, schools, movie theatres and other entities around the country and prompted an ongoing stock market cratering.
Only 37 per cent of registered voters reported having a "A great deal/A good amount" of trust in the information Trump gives about the virus and his administration's response. Until last Monday, the president at least two dozen times downplayed the scope and severity of the outbreak, which he is now acknowledging could throw the American economy into a recession.
Less than 40 per cent of Americans trust what Donald Trump says about the coronavirus outbreak and less than half approve of his response, according to a new poll out hours before the president called the disease a "Chinese virus."
A NPR/PBS NewsHour/Marist poll released on Tuesday shows 45 per cent of registered voters approve of Trump's handling of the public health crisis, which has closed restaurants, bars, schools, movie theatres and other entities around the country and prompted an ongoing stock market cratering.
Only 37 per cent of registered voters reported having a "A great deal/A good amount" of trust in the information Trump gives about the virus and his administration's response. Until last Monday, the president at least two dozen times downplayed the scope and severity of the outbreak, which he is now acknowledging could throw the American economy into a recession.
Video emerges of Trump discussing closure of pandemic team in 2018 days after he denied knowing about it
A video has emerged of Trump talking about cutting the US pandemic response team in 2018 – days after claiming that he knew nothing about the disbanded White House unit.
A video has emerged of Trump talking about cutting the US pandemic response team in 2018 – days after claiming that he knew nothing about the disbanded White House unit.
The president said of the pandemic team that “some of the people we’ve cut they haven’t been used for many, many years and if we ever need them we can get them very quickly and rather then spending the money”.
“I’m a business person, I don’t like having thousands of people around when you don’t need them,” he added.
“I’m a business person, I don’t like having thousands of people around when you don’t need them,” he added.
Trump has rightly come under fire in recent days for his decision to disband the National Security Council directorate at the White House responsible for planning the US’s preparedness for future pandemics.
The unit had been established under Barack Obama in 2014 after the Ebola outbreak.
Here's more from Gino Spocchia.
Mitch McConnell says Senate won't adjourn until coronavirus bill passed
Here's the latest from the Kentucky Republican and majority leader, who once delighted in the nickname "the Grim Reaper" but presumably won't thank us for reminding you of that now.
“The House of Representatives may have left town but the Senate is right here at work. We’re crafting the major legislation that the American people deserve in the face of this major challenge and it’s my intention that the Senate will not adjourn until we have passed significant and bold new steps above and beyond what the House has passed,” Mitch McConnell says, adding: “To help our strong nation and our strong underlying economy weather this storm.”
“Our healthcare system and our doctors, nurses and other frontline professionals are gearing up for what seems very likely to be the most significant nationwide challenge they have faced in generations,” he added.
“At every level this new challenge is testing our nation and its institutions.”
Here's the latest from the Kentucky Republican and majority leader, who once delighted in the nickname "the Grim Reaper" but presumably won't thank us for reminding you of that now.
“The House of Representatives may have left town but the Senate is right here at work. We’re crafting the major legislation that the American people deserve in the face of this major challenge and it’s my intention that the Senate will not adjourn until we have passed significant and bold new steps above and beyond what the House has passed,” Mitch McConnell says, adding: “To help our strong nation and our strong underlying economy weather this storm.”
“Our healthcare system and our doctors, nurses and other frontline professionals are gearing up for what seems very likely to be the most significant nationwide challenge they have faced in generations,” he added.
“At every level this new challenge is testing our nation and its institutions.”
'If coronavirus affects the election, it's likely to be in Trump's favour'
In the last hour, Trump has returned to his more familiar, unhinged tone, attacking Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and using the ludicrous hashtag "#KILLTHEVIRUS".
For Indy Voices, Justin Lee has this warning against Democratic complacency as many left-leaning voters lazily assume his disastrous handling of this epidemic will translate into a win for their nominee.
In the last hour, Trump has returned to his more familiar, unhinged tone, attacking Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer and using the ludicrous hashtag "#KILLTHEVIRUS".
For Indy Voices, Justin Lee has this warning against Democratic complacency as many left-leaning voters lazily assume his disastrous handling of this epidemic will translate into a win for their nominee.
New York governor has 'no plans whatsoever' to quarantine city as Atlanta airport closes unnused terminals
New York's governor Andrew Cuomo, the subject of an angry tweet from Trump earlier, has said he has "no plans whatsoever" to quarantine the city.
He revealed he has since spoken to the president and appealed for help from the federal government: "I said to the president... I put my hand out in partnership. I want to work together 100%. I want your help. I need your help."
City mayor Bill de Blasio appeared on CNN's New Day this morning to discuss plans for safeguarding the Big Apple and refused to rule out telling people to stay indoors.
"Right now we have taken a series of steps to reduce the number of people who are circulating around," he said. "But we're going to look at all other options, and it could get to that for sure."
Meanwhile, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, has temporarily closed its north and south domestic terminal checkpoints due to "declining demand," CNN reports.
New York's governor Andrew Cuomo, the subject of an angry tweet from Trump earlier, has said he has "no plans whatsoever" to quarantine the city.
He revealed he has since spoken to the president and appealed for help from the federal government: "I said to the president... I put my hand out in partnership. I want to work together 100%. I want your help. I need your help."
City mayor Bill de Blasio appeared on CNN's New Day this morning to discuss plans for safeguarding the Big Apple and refused to rule out telling people to stay indoors.
"Right now we have taken a series of steps to reduce the number of people who are circulating around," he said. "But we're going to look at all other options, and it could get to that for sure."
Meanwhile, Hartsfield Jackson International Airport in Atlanta, Georgia, has temporarily closed its north and south domestic terminal checkpoints due to "declining demand," CNN reports.
White House officials mockingly referring to coronavirus as 'Kung-Flu'
With Trump already under fire for using the phrase "Chinese Virus" (twice) in tweets, a CBS reporter at the White House has encountered further evidence of racist mockery over the pandemic from an unnamed member of the administration.
With Trump already under fire for using the phrase "Chinese Virus" (twice) in tweets, a CBS reporter at the White House has encountered further evidence of racist mockery over the pandemic from an unnamed member of the administration.
Maryland postpones primary as Biden hits back at Trump over attack on Michigan governor
State governor Larry Hogan has made his the fifth to postpone its Democratic primary as a result of the virus, following on from Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana and Kentucky.
Meanwhile, here's Diamond Joe gallantly defending the honour of Gretchen Whitmer after Trump griped about her earlier.
State governor Larry Hogan has made his the fifth to postpone its Democratic primary as a result of the virus, following on from Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana and Kentucky.
Meanwhile, here's Diamond Joe gallantly defending the honour of Gretchen Whitmer after Trump griped about her earlier.
Coronavirus crisis 'worse than 9/11' for airlines, says Steve Mnuchin
Woah.
What a spectacularly ill-considered comparison from the US Treasury secretary, speaking just now at a press conference with Trump addressing the economic consequences of Covid-19 as air travel dries up.
Also not inspiring confidence is vice president Mike Pence, who has asked construction companies to donate their face masks to hospitals and not order more.
This is what the president himself had to say:
But here's Danielle Zoellner on Mnuchin.
Woah.
What a spectacularly ill-considered comparison from the US Treasury secretary, speaking just now at a press conference with Trump addressing the economic consequences of Covid-19 as air travel dries up.
Also not inspiring confidence is vice president Mike Pence, who has asked construction companies to donate their face masks to hospitals and not order more.
This is what the president himself had to say:
But here's Danielle Zoellner on Mnuchin.
