Trump: ‘I Had No Idea How Popular The Task Force Is’

TOPLINE

President Trump said on Twitter Wednesday that the coronavirus task force “will continue on indefinitely,” and then told reporters he “had no idea how popular the task force is,” until he confirmed reports Tuesday saying the task force would be phased out in the coming weeks⁠.

KEY FACTS

Key background

The New York Times first reported Tuesday that the task force could be phased out within weeks. Parts of the Times’ report appear to have been confirmed by Trump. For example, the paper reported that going forward, the White House would focus on therapeutics, vaccine development and testing⁠—three items Trump tweeted about Wednesday. The president has appeared to be eager to reopen the economy as over 30 million workers have filed for unemployment, saying on ABC Tuesday night that “People are losing their jobs. We have to bring it back, and that’s what we’re doing.” Trump also seemed to acknowledge that more Americans could die as the country relaxes lockdowns and other restrictions. “Yes, will some people be affected, yes, will some people be affected badly—yes, but we have to get our country open and we have to get it open soon.”

Further reading

Trump Says Task Force Will Wind Down (New York Times)

Trump On Reopening: ‘Will Some People Be Affected Badly—Yes.’ (Forbes)

Pence: Coronavirus Task Force Could Dissolve Within Weeks, Cites ‘Tremendous Progress’ (Forbes)

Political drama engulfs the Trump administration’s coronavirus response (Axios)

Full coverage and live updates on the Coronavirus