President Trump on Sunday predicted the United States will lose between 75,000 to 100,000 people to the coronavirus, a marked increase from just…
President Trump on Sunday predicted the United States will lose between 75,000 to 100,000 people to the coronavirus, a marked increase from just a few weeks ago when he estimated 60,000 could die.
The president offered the revised assessment during a Fox News virtual town hall, where he nonetheless emphasized the need to reopen businesses and get Americans back to work by lifting certain measures intended to slow the spread of the virus.
« We’re going to lose anywhere from 75-, 80- to 100,000 people, » Trump said. « That’s a horrible thing. We shouldn’t lose one person over this. This should’ve been stopped in China. »
The president repeatedly framed the tens of thousands of deaths as a silver lining compared to the grim death tolls some models laid out if the U. S. opted not to impose any kind of social distancing or stay-at-home orders.
The White House put out guidelines that called for Americans to avoid restaurants and bars and limit gatherings to fewer than 10 people, but the administration allowed them to expire on April 30 as many states shift toward reopening businesses.
