Trump promises coronavirus stimulus money coming ‘soon’ to Americans
President Trump assured Americans that “money will soon be coming to you” as Congress takes up a White House stimulus bill that would inject $1 trillion into the economy to offset the effects of the coronavirus pandemic.
“For the people that are now out of work because of the important and necessary containment policies, for instance the shutting down of hotels, bars and restaurants, money will soon be coming to you,” the president wrote on Twitter Wednesday. “The onslaught of the Chinese Virus is not your fault! Will be stronger than ever!”
He also previewed a news conference he will hold later Wednesday “to discuss very important news from the FDA concerning the Chinese Virus!”
Trump didn’t designate a time for the news conference but the White House schedule shows that the administration’s coronavirus task force will hold a briefing at 11:30 a.m. and that the president will meet with nurses about COVID-19 at 3:30 p.m.
The president also took a shot at the media, accusing the “Fake News” of unfairly covering his response to the virus. “I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the ‘borders’ from China – against the wishes of almost all. Many lives were saved. The Fake News new narrative is disgraceful & false!,” he tweeted.
At Tuesday’s briefing, Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin announced a stimulus package that would flood the economy with $1 trillion and send checks in about two weeks to every American as the virus has disrupted the travel industry and caused businesses, both large and small, to close down or suspend operations and many states and cities to urge citizens to “shelter in place.”
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It’s unclear what the announcement is about, but the Food and Drug Administration on Tuesday evening tweeted that it was aware the virus is expanding globally and “the supply chain for surgical gowns & masks will continue to be stressed if demand exceeds available supplies.”
Vice President Mike Pence on Tuesday urged construction companies to donate masks to hospitals across the country to increase the supply and halt new orders.