WASHINGTON, DC — President Donald Trump and the Coronavirus Task Force addressed the nation Thursday. Here are the highlights of the briefing.

  • Trump said the Navy Hospital Ship Comfort will arrive at Pier 90 in NYC on Monday, perhaps being used for patients who don't have Coronavirus.
  • He said he will be in Virginia to "kiss it goodbye" when it leaves on Saturday.
  • He said he spoke to the G-20 leaders this morning, naming each one, saying they talked about the importance of sharing information, calling it a great conversation.
  • He said he spoke to the governors of all 50 states and the "territories" and said he's in constant touch with them.
  • Said he will come out with new information about "re-opening" the country next week, including "dates", and offer new guidelines for social distancing, though that decision would be up to the governors and mayors.
  • He talked about one governor who he said was "a little bit of a wiseguy, but not so much anymore. We saw to it he's not a wise guy anymore." He didn't identify that governor.
  • Once again he went over the specifics of the relief package that just passed the Senate and is awaiting passage in the House.
  • He said the bill passed in the Senate unanimously but that there might be "one grandstander" in the House.
  • He updated delivery numbers from FEMA in terms of deliveries, and said again companies are working on making supplies like masks and ventilators, saying some are already being worked on, though companies have said it would take weeks if not months to retrofit factories and assembly lines.
  • Trump said record numbers of tests are being done, more than any other country.
  • Again he claimed he took over "empty shelves" in the national stockpile and an "obsolete and broken" testing system, though there is no evidence to suggest that.
  • He said the NIH and the FDA are working to discuss and approve a vaccine and treatment drugs in a very short time. Dr. Anthony Fauci said there are many vaccines being tried, testing will take a long time and may only help in "recycling" of Coronavirus next season.
  • He took an especially nasty swipe at the press, saying he wished the press was honest and not corrupt, but, he said, they are.
  • In answer to a question, he said there is an increased number of agents at the Canadian border because "there are a lot of things happening there that we don't like. He then mentioned steel.
  • Again he claimed we are collecting millions in tariffs from Canada and China, though, of course, U.S. consumers pay tariffs, not foreign countries.