President Trump on Tuesday is holding his first coronavirus press briefing since April as cases of COVID-19 surge toward the 4 million mark and as daily confirmed cases of the virus regularly reach more than 60,000 a day.
The 5 p.m. ET briefing – which is not expected to be attended by any of the members of the White House coronavirus task force – also comes as the White House tries to reassure the American public that it has a grip on the pandemic despite the recent surge in cases.
“He’s the right person to give the information to the American people,” White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said. “And, boy, does he get the information to a lot of the American people during his briefings, as noted by the ratings.”
Trump regularly made appearances in March and April during press briefings of the coronavirus task force that became must-see TV, but he abruptly stopped them in late April after receiving criticism after comments related to whether sunlight and disinfectants could cure the contagion. White House staff also had previously urged him to stop attending the briefings.
The resumption of the briefings also comes as the next stage of the federal government’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.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and chief of staff Mark Meadows were to meet privately Tuesday with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York on the new aid package, a day after Trump convened GOP leaders at the White House.
Democrats are pressing for the next bill to include funding for election protections, while some Republicans have broken with the White House in seeking additional federal funding for testing and contact-tracing. Meanwhile, Trump has found few allies in his push for a payroll tax cut in the legislation.
As of Tuesday morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, had not been informed about his role in the briefing. He told 360aproko news he hadn’t been told by the White House whether he would be in attendance for Trump’s briefing.
The doctor said he was glad Trump has begun to promote mask-wearing and expressed optimism the president would reinforce that message Tuesday.
“If we, during those conferences, come out and have consistent, clear, non-contradictory messages, I believe it will be very helpful in getting people on the track of knowing the direction that we need to go to get this pandemic under control,” he said.
Trump did tweet a photo of himself in a face mask Monday, calling it an act of patriotism, after months of resistance to being publicly seen in the coverings.
But McEnany suggested Trump would not wear a mask in the briefing room, saying that he is the “most tested man in America” for the virus — sometimes tested more than once a day.
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, though his advisers have stressed a need to adopt a more disciplined public agenda.
In addition to discussing medical developments, he also was expected to focus on his advocacy for schools to reopen for in-person education, following his threat to try to withhold federal funds from those that stick to remote education. And he was sure to predict an economic recovery on the way and go after presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden, Democratic-led cities and aggressive protesters.
