Trump news: President doubles down on support of controversial drug as Fauci sits out coronavirus briefing amid tensions with White House
President defies health officials as he urges to open economy as it nears end of two-week shutdown
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The US now has the third-highest number of coronavirus cases in the world, as New York mayor Bill de Blasio implores Donald Trump for more federal assistance and warns that the city’s 11 public hospitals only have enough medical supplies to last for the next week.
The Senate reached yet another stalemate over a $2trn (£1.7trn) economic stimulus package on Monday after Democrats have argued that the Republican-led bill amounts to a “slush fund” for the president and his corporate allies in its present form.
Republican majority leader Mitch McConnell hit back, saying that “our nation cannot afford a game of chicken" as both sides moved to reassure the public that they are “very close” to coming to an agreement on the bailout.
The president has meanwhile continued to push to re-open the US from its effective shutdown within weeks, rather than months, as the White House approaches the end of a 15-day shuttering next week.
He said: "Our country wasn't built to be shut down."
After arguing that business as usual should continue in the coming weeks to keep the economy moving, he said that doctors in his administration haven't "endorsed" easing those restrictions but he claimed "they're OK with it".
Asked whether any health officials agree that guidelines should be eased within a week, the president said: "If it were up to the doctors, they may say, 'Let's keep it shut down. Let's shut down the entire world.'"
The president also promoted the use of a controversial drug that will begin trials this week to determine its efficacy combatting the virus. A man in Arizona died after trying to recreate the drug from an aquarium cleaner, days after Mr Trump had contradicted his own health officials in declaring it a "game changer" against the virus.
Follow live coverage as it happened
Please allow a moment for the liveblog to load
Olympic committee member says 2020 games postponed to 2021
The 2020 summer Olympics in Tokyo will be postponed to 2021, according to International Olympic Committee member Dick Pound.
In an interview with USA Today, he said that "postponement has been decided" following concerns about the growing coronavirus pandemic.
He said: "The parameters going forward have not been determined, but the Games are not going to start on July 24, that much I know.”
In a statement, the committee said "it is the right of every IOC Member to interpret the decision of the IOC [Executive Board] which was announced yesterday.”
On Sunday, the IOC said it was increasing its “scenario-planning” for the state of its 2020 games.
In a letter to athletes, the IOC president said that “cancellation would not solve any problem and would help nobody".
Reports: White House advisors telling Trump to scale back coronavirus efforts to restart economy in face of urgent health warnings
Donald Trump is fielding concerns from conservatives who say the economic damage from the coronavirus would outweigh the already overwhelming health risks, as the administration nears the end of a 15-day period set to expire at the end of the month.
According to the Washington Post, the president is has been "canvassing his advisers, GOP Senators and other allies about what his course of action should be, according to a senior administration official."
Trump is "worried about the impact of soaring unemployment and severe economic contraction on his 2020 presidential reelection bid" and "remains fixated on the plummeting stock market" while he's "chafing at the idea of the country remaining closed until the summer and growing tired of talking only about coronavirus."
The news follows Science magazine's interview with Dr Anthony Fauci, who revealed that he's "trying his best" to manage the internal public health response after the president has repeatedly contradicted his own top health official.
He said: "The next time they sit down with him and talk about what he’s going to say, they will say, “By the way, Mr. President, be careful about this and don’t say that.” But I can’t jump in front of the microphone and push him down. OK, he said it. Let’s try and get it corrected for the next time."
Los Angeles to obtain thousands of coronavirus offered to residents for free
Los Angeles officials say that 5,000 people will be tested for coronavirus each day after the county obtained 20,000 tests, which will be offered to residents at no cost.
Officials also are working with a South Korean company to obtain another 100,000 tests available a week, with capacity to perform 30,000 tests a day.
There are 536 confirmed cases in the county. At least seven people have died.
Hanes, Fruit of the Loom to 'fast-track' medical mask production
A coalition of apparel brands and textile manufacturers — including Hanes and Fruit of the Loom — are using their supply chains to "fast-track the manufacturing of medical face masks", according to the National Council of Textile Organizations.
The council attributed the move to the White House after Donald Trump said he has fielded calls from companies offering to support efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.
Trump has not yet officially invoked the Defense Production Act, a war-time measure which he could use to mandate companies to speed the manufacturing of critically needed medical equipment.
The companies expect are expected to begin production this week and have shipments ready by mid-week.
Within four to five weeks, the companies are expected to produce up to 10 million masks a week for the US and Central America, according to the council.
Trump signs anti-'hoarding' order
Donald Trump has signed an executive order barring "hoarding [and] price gouging of supplies needed in our war against" the coronavirus, according to White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham.
No other details about the order have been provided.
Man dies after ingesting chemicals that Trump promoted as coronavirus medicine
A man has died and a woman is in critical condition after ingesting chloroquine phosphate, one of the anti-malaria drugs that Donald Trump has promoted as a coronavirus treatment despite warnings from health officials that it has not been safely tested or proven to treat the virus.
The Banner health system in Arizona reported that a man and a woman, a couple in their 60s, ingested chloroquine phosphate, "an additive commonly used at aquariums to clean fish tanks", and within 30 minutes were admitted to a hospital.
Dr Daniel Brooks, Banner Poison and Drug Information Center medical director, said: “Given the uncertainty around COVID-19, we understand that people are trying to find new ways to prevent or treat this virus, but self-medicating is not the way to do so ... The last thing that we want right now is to inundate our emergency departments with patients who believe they found a vague and risky solution that could potentially jeopardize their health.”
Ted Cruz tells Trump to invoke Defence Production Act after wavering on mandate
Republican Senator Ted Cruz of Texas has joined calls from Democrats to pressure Donald Trump to use a war-time measure to mandate companies to manufacture critically needed medical supplies.
He said: "I don't want to see doctors having to make a choice of who gets to live and who has to die because they don't have the equipment to save their lives."
The president has flip-flopped on using the act since he issued an order that invoked it last week. Yesterday, he conflated the measure with nationalisation, comparing it to Venezuelan socialism, while officials and health workers across the US are clamoring for supplies and facing dramatic shortages of facemasks, ventilators, respirators and other needs. Trump insists companies are making those items voluntarily.
On his podcast, Senator Cruz said: "You can't build a ventilator overnight ... And if we wake up two weeks from now and instead of 11,000 cases, we've got 200,000 cases or a million cases, it might be too late then.”
Senator Cruz was the first senator to quarantine himself from the virus.
New York and Seattle field hospitals arriving within 72 hours
Army field hospitals will soon arrive in New York and Seattle to support a growing number of coronavirus patients, according to Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley. He said those cities could expect to receive the mobile hospitals within 72 hours or less.
Each hospital will house 200 beds and 48 intensive care beds.
They will also be equipped with 11 ventilators in each hospital.
Senate deadlocked, again, on stimulus deal as Republicans attempt to push forward
The US Senate appears to have reached a stalemate over a GOP-led stimulus package after Democrats lined up a second time on Monday to vote against the bill, over concerns that it prioritises corporate and business bailouts over the needs of working Americas facing dramatic unemployment numbers in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
Democrats have criticised Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for rushing through procedural votes without a bipartisan deal. The 49-46 vote was largely on party lines.
A key point of the deadlock is a $500bn plan for loans to companies and states without enough transparency to determine what happens with those funds, Democrats say.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments