Trump news: White House holds coronavirus update as president claims quarantine ruining his election chances

As the US death toll from the coronavirus outbreak reaches another grim milestone, the Senate has unanimously voted in favour of a $2.2trn (£1.8trn) rescue package to bailout an economy hard-hit by the global catastrophe.

At the White House, Donald Trump has rowed back on his plan to “reopen” the country for business by Easter as infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci warns him: “You don’t make the timeline, the virus makes the timeline.”

The president has otherwise been busy attacking the “LameStream Media” for its coverage of his response to the crisis, accusing the press of “fake news” and conspiring against him to tank the markets and sabotage his re-election hopes in November.

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Key Points

• US coronavirus death toll up passes 1,000 mark, with nearly 70,000 infections
• Senate unanimously approves $2.2trn economic rescue package
• Trump rows back on Easter 'reopening' timeline
• President blames 'LameStream Media' for shutdown, says it's to stop his re-election
• US, China to set aside differences in G20 coronavirus video conference summit

Show latest update

2020-03-26T09:55:00.000Z

Hello and welcome to The Independent's rolling coverage of the coronavirus outbreak in the US and the Donald Trump administration's response to it.

• Joe Sommerlad
• 26 March 2020 09:56