President Trump admitted at his first coronavirus press briefing since April that the outbreak in the U.S. will "probably, unfortunately get worse before it gets better," adding: "Something I don't like saying about things, but that's the way it is."
Why it matters: For weeks, Trump has dismissed the rise in infections as a product of more testing, insisting that the coronavirus will "just disappear" one day. He repeated that claim on Tuesday, but called the surge in cases in the South "concerning" and urged all Americans to wear a mask when social distancing is not possible: "Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact."
The big picture: Despite his acknowledgement of the severity of the situation, Trump continued to tout the administration's advancements in testing, therapeutics and vaccine development and stressed that other countries are struggling with the virus as well.
- Trump said American voters should judge him on his handling of the pandemic "among other things," before rattling off a list of his favorite accomplishments related to the economy, the military and more.
Pressed on his change in tone and previous claims that the U.S. was dealing with virus "embers," Trump responded:
What to watch: Trump said he will continue to do briefings "quite often" in order to keep the public aware of developments related to the coronavirus and the economy.
Go deeper: Fauci says he wasn't invited to Trump's coronavirus press briefing
