U.S. President Donald Trump sought to paint a rosier picture of the coronavirus pandemic for Americans on Tuesday but conceded it is likely to get worse for a time as he revived his daily briefings with an eye to halting a campaign-season erosion of support as new cases spike across the country.
U.S. President Donald Trump sought to paint a rosier picture of the coronavirus pandemic for Americans on Tuesday but conceded the pandemic is likely to get worse for a time as he revived his daily briefings with an eye to halting a campaign-season erosion of support as new cases spike across the country.
The early evening briefing at the White House came as the next stage of Washington’s response to the pandemic was being crafted on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers and White House officials were opening negotiations on a trillion-dollar-or-more “phase four” rescue package.
“It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better,” Trump said from the White House. He also touted a reduction in deaths and progress on vaccines and treatments for COVID-19, which Trump referred to repeatedly as the “China virus.”
He also continued his belated encouragement of Americans to wear masks when social distancing is not possible, “Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact.”
“I’m getting used to the mask,” he said, pulling one out from his pocket, after months of suggesting that mask-wearing was a political statement against him.
Little more than three months out from election day, Trump is hoping that the podium spotlight will give him an edge against Democratic rival Joe Biden. He appeared at the White House solo, without the medical experts or government supply experts he previously relied on to explain his government’s response to the public health emergency.
“The vaccines are coming, and they’re coming a lot sooner than anybody thought possible,” Trump promised anew.
WATCH | Trump urges Americans to take precautions:
In his first briefing focused on the coronavirus pandemic in months, U.S. President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Tuesday that the situation will probably get worse before it gets better. 1:16
As early as next week, the first possible U.S. vaccine is set to begin final-stage testing in a study of 30,000 people to see if it really is safe and effective. A few other vaccines have begun sm