Trump Says U.S. Must Reopen Even If More Americans Get Sick, Die
President Donald Trump declared Tuesday that the U.S. must begin to reopen its economy immediately, even if it leads to more Americans falling sick and dying from the coronavirus outbreak.
“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,” Trump said at an event with Native Americans in Phoenix.
The president has expressed increasing frustration with the coronavirus-sparked recession that has put more than 30 million Americans out of work and hurt his case for a second term. The U.S. continues to sport the largest coronavirus outbreak in the world, with about 1.2 million people infected and more than 70,000 killed so far.
But Trump is seeking to move past the outbreak anyway, encouraging states to abandon social distancing measures and allow businesses to reopen, though he has said it should be done “safely.” On Tuesday, Vice President Mike Pence said the White House has begun discussing disbanding the coronavirus task force that has advised Trump on the federal response to the outbreak.
22,335 in U.S.Most new cases today
-16% Change in MSCI World Index of global stocks since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23
-1.071 Change in U.S. treasury bond yield since Wuhan lockdown, Jan. 23
-0.5% Global GDP Tracker (annualized), March