cnbc--2020-03-18--White House seeks $45.8 billion to cover 'unanticipated' coronavirus costs for government

U.S. President Donald Trump , joined by members of the Coronavirus Task Force , confers with Vice President Mike Pence while speaking about the coronavirus in the press briefing room at the White House on March 16 , 2020 in Washington , DC .
The Trump administration requested an additional $ 45.8 billion from Congress — beyond existing funding requests that could total more than $ 1 trillion — to cover `` unanticipated '' costs incurred by agencies responding to the crisis .
Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought said in a letter to congressional @ @ @ @ @ @ @ used `` to address ongoing preparedness and response efforts . ''
• More than $ 11.5 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services ; • More than $ 3.1 billion for the Homeland Security Department , including $ 2 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency ; • $ 8.3 billion for the Defense Department to `` minimize the impacts of the virus '' on service members and missions ; • $ 150 million for the Education Department to address school clean-up efforts , student loan issues and costs for about @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump administration 's efforts to fight the deadly COVID-19 pandemic have `` forced agencies to incur unanticipated costs , '' Vought said in the letter dated Tuesday and made public Wednesday .
`` These costs must be met with a legislative response to ensure full operational capacity , '' the OMB acting chief said .
Vought noted that this request `` is not intended as a broad-based solution to the major economic dislocation wrought by the virus , nor is it the primary means by which the Federal Government plans to address the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ communities who have been touched by the disease . ''
The request comes as U.S. lawmakers seek to pass more emergency funding in Congress .
President Donald Trump signed an $ 8.3 billion aid package earlier this month that sailed through the House and Senate in a matter of days , but another bill has been held up in the Senate .
On Tuesday , CNBC reported that the White House is seeking a stimulus package worth anywhere from $ 850 billion to more than $ 1 trillion as it struggles to rein @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Some $ 250 billion of that proposal could go toward making direct payments to Americans , a White House official told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday .
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during a press briefing that `` Americans need cash now . ''
Vought 's letter also bumped up the administration 's fiscal 2021 request for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by about $ 1.3 billion , bringing the total to roughly $ 8.3 billion .
The letter added $ 440 million to the budget request for the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` to continue critical basic and applied research on coronaviruses and other infectious diseases . ''
The NIAID is leading the administration 's vaccine development efforts .

U.S. President Donald Trump, joined by members of the Coronavirus Task Force, confers with Vice President Mike Pence while speaking about the coronavirus in the press briefing room at the White House on March 16, 2020 in Washington, DC.
The Trump administration requested an additional $45.8 billion from Congress — beyond existing funding requests that could total more than $1 trillion — to cover "unanticipated" costs incurred by agencies responding to the crisis.
Acting Director of the Office of Management and Budget Russell Vought said in a letter to congressional leaders that the additional money will be used "to address ongoing preparedness and response efforts."
The request includes:
More than $11.5 billion for the Department of Health and Human Services;
More than $3.1 billion for the Homeland Security Department, including $2 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency;
$8.3 billion for the Defense Department to "minimize the impacts of the virus" on service members and missions;
$150 million for the Education Department to address school clean-up efforts, student loan issues and costs for about 5,000 staff to work remotely.
The Trump administration's efforts to fight the deadly COVID-19 pandemic have "forced agencies to incur unanticipated costs," Vought said in the letter dated Tuesday and made public Wednesday.
"These costs must be met with a legislative response to ensure full operational capacity," the OMB acting chief said.
Vought noted that this request "is not intended as a broad-based solution to the major economic dislocation wrought by the virus, nor is it the primary means by which the Federal Government plans to address the hardships of families, individuals, and communities who have been touched by the disease."
The request comes as U.S. lawmakers seek to pass more emergency funding in Congress. President Donald Trump signed an $8.3 billion aid package earlier this month that sailed through the House and Senate in a matter of days, but another bill has been held up in the Senate.
On Tuesday, CNBC reported that the White House is seeking a stimulus package worth anywhere from $850 billion to more than $1 trillion as it struggles to rein in the disease and its economic contagion.
Some $250 billion of that proposal could go toward making direct payments to Americans, a White House official told The Wall Street Journal on Tuesday. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said during a press briefing that "Americans need cash now."
Vought's letter also bumped up the administration's fiscal 2021 request for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention by about $1.3 billion, bringing the total to roughly $8.3 billion.
The letter added $440 million to the budget request for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases "to continue critical basic and applied research on coronaviruses and other infectious diseases." The NIAID is leading the administration's vaccine development efforts.


cnbc--2020-03-18--Bernie Sanders will 'assess his campaign' after Joe Biden dominates in three more state primaries

U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders gives a response to U.S. President Donald Trump 's State of the Union address during a campaign event in Manchester , New Hampshire , February 4 , 2020 .
Sen. Bernie Sanders will `` assess his campaign '' in the coming weeks after former Vice President Joe Biden triumphed in three more state presidential primaries .
`` In the immediate term , however , he is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable , '' the Vermont senator 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ statement Wednesday .
In a separate message to supporters , Shakir said Sanders will vote on a coronavirus relief bill in the Senate on Wednesday , then head to Vermont with his wife , Jane .
They will then `` begin holding conversations with supporters to get input and assess the path forward for our campaign . ''
On his way to the Capitol ahead of the vote , Sanders told reporters he is not dropping out of the race yet .
`` There 's not going to be an election for another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our supporters , but anybody who suggests at this point we are ending our campaign is not telling the truth , '' he said , according to NBC News .
Biden won Democratic primaries in Florida , Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday , extending a dominant streak in key states following victories in Michigan and Washington last week .
As he looks poised for easy wins in this week 's primaries , Biden will widen his delegate lead .
He has now amassed 1,132 pledged delegates to Sanders ' 817 .
A candidate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democratic presidential nomination .
In his statement , Shakir noted the next primary contest `` is at least three weeks away . ''
The spreading coronavirus pandemic forced a string of states to delay their nominating events .
Georgia was set to hold a primary on March 24 but pushed it back to May 19 .
Coronavirus hovered over Tuesday 's votes as states and cities across the country effectively shut down normal American life .
Ohio , which was set to hold a primary , postponed in-person voting to curb the outbreak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the three states voted , but only about the government response to coronavirus .
He estimated the U.S. government would have to inject $ 2 trillion or more `` to prevent deaths , jobs losses and to avoid an economic catastrophe . ''
`` We can do it .
We can address this crisis .
We can minimize the pain , '' Sanders said .
He called for emergency measures such as Medicare covering all coronavirus-related health costs and sending $ 2,000 monthly checks to every American household during the crisis .
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Sanders ' demise in a tweet apparently aiming to sow discord in the party .
He said the Democratic National Committee got its `` fondest wish '' and `` defeated Bernie Sanders , far ahead of schedule . ''
`` Now they are doing everything possible to be nice to him in order to keep his supporters .
Bernie has given up , just like he did last time .
He will be dropping out soon ! ''
the president wrote .
His tweet drew a sharp contrast from the olive branch Biden @ @ @ @ @ @ @ president took on the tone of a presumed presidential nominee Tuesday night .
In remarks after his projected wins started to roll in , he extended an olive branch to Sanders ' devoted supporters , many of whom are young and feel he does not have a progressive enough platform .
`` I hear you .
I know what 's at stake , '' he said .
`` I know what we have to do .
Our goal as a campaign and my goal as a candidate for president is to unify this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''

U.S. presidential candidate Senator Bernie Sanders gives a response to U.S. President Donald Trump's State of the Union address during a campaign event in Manchester, New Hampshire, February 4, 2020.
Sen. Bernie Sanders will "assess his campaign" in the coming weeks after former Vice President Joe Biden triumphed in three more state presidential primaries.
"In the immediate term, however, he is focused on the government response to the coronavirus outbreak and ensuring that we take care of working people and the most vulnerable," the Vermont senator's campaign manager Faiz Shakir said in a statement Wednesday.
In a separate message to supporters, Shakir said Sanders will vote on a coronavirus relief bill in the Senate on Wednesday, then head to Vermont with his wife, Jane. They will then "begin holding conversations with supporters to get input and assess the path forward for our campaign."
On his way to the Capitol ahead of the vote, Sanders told reporters he is not dropping out of the race yet.
"There's not going to be an election for another three weeks. We are talking to our supporters, but anybody who suggests at this point we are ending our campaign is not telling the truth," he said, according to NBC News.
Biden won Democratic primaries in Florida, Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday, extending a dominant streak in key states following victories in Michigan and Washington last week. As he looks poised for easy wins in this week's primaries, Biden will widen his delegate lead.
He has now amassed 1,132 pledged delegates to Sanders' 817. A candidate needs 1,991 pledged delegates to clinch the Democratic presidential nomination.
In his statement, Shakir noted the next primary contest "is at least three weeks away." The spreading coronavirus pandemic forced a string of states to delay their nominating events. Georgia was set to hold a primary on March 24 but pushed it back to May 19.
Coronavirus hovered over Tuesday's votes as states and cities across the country effectively shut down normal American life. Ohio, which was set to hold a primary, postponed in-person voting to curb the outbreak.
Sanders spoke on Tuesday night as the three states voted, but only about the government response to coronavirus. He estimated the U.S. government would have to inject $2 trillion or more "to prevent deaths, jobs losses and to avoid an economic catastrophe."
"We can do it. We can address this crisis. We can minimize the pain," Sanders said. He called for emergency measures such as Medicare covering all coronavirus-related health costs and sending $2,000 monthly checks to every American household during the crisis.
On Wednesday morning, President Donald Trump predicted Sanders' demise in a tweet apparently aiming to sow discord in the party. He said the Democratic National Committee got its "fondest wish" and "defeated Bernie Sanders, far ahead of schedule."
"Now they are doing everything possible to be nice to him in order to keep his supporters. Bernie has given up, just like he did last time. He will be dropping out soon!" the president wrote.
Trump tweet
His tweet drew a sharp contrast from the olive branch Biden extended Tuesday night.
The former vice president took on the tone of a presumed presidential nominee Tuesday night. In remarks after his projected wins started to roll in, he extended an olive branch to Sanders' devoted supporters, many of whom are young and feel he does not have a progressive enough platform.
"I hear you. I know what's at stake," he said. "I know what we have to do. Our goal as a campaign and my goal as a candidate for president is to unify this party and then to unify this nation."
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cnbc--2020-03-18--Joe Biden wins three major primaries, NBC News projects, as he beefs up delegate lead

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks as Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson ( D-FL ) listen behind him during a campaign rally held at the University of South Florida Campus Recreation Building on October 22 , 2018 in Tampa , Florida .
Joe Biden will win Florida 's Democratic primary , NBC News projected Tuesday , taking another huge step toward the 2020 Democratic nomination in the shadow of the coronavirus .
He would pile up delegates with wins in Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday night , as well .
The former vice president @ @ @ @ @ @ @ him up for a trove of delegates as he pushes to take on President Donald Trump in November .
With more than 90 % of results in Tuesday , he had about 62 % of the vote , compared to about 23 % for Sen. Bernie Sanders .
Florida 's primary allocates 219 pledged delegates , making it one of the biggest prizes on the calendar .
Biden will win at least 148 delegates , while Sanders will come away with at least 33 .
Biden had won 1,132 national delegates to Sanders @ @ @ @ @ @ @ according to NBC .
A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to clinch the party 's nomination .
Speaking from his home in Wilmington , Delaware , on Tuesday night , Biden said `` tackling this pandemic is a national emergency akin to fighting a war . ''
He seemed to endorse the states moving ahead with their elections with precautions , saying `` it 's important for us to get through this crisis protecting both the public health and our democracy . ''
`` Our campaign has had a very good night .
We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's nomination for president , '' he said after projected wins in both Florida and Illinois .
He spoke directly to Sanders ' supporters , saying he and his opponent `` may disagree on tactics , but we share a common vision '' on the need to make health care more affordable , reduce income inequality and curb climate change .
Florida forged ahead with its primary despite fears about the outbreak that forced Ohio , another state set to vote Tuesday , to stop in-person voting .
The state said it took @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus disease while voters cast ballots , including by giving poll workers disinfecting materials and moving polling sites away from high-risk places such as hospitals and nursing homes .
Even so , some local elections officials reported having to find replacements for poll workers .
Nearly 2 million people had voted early or by mail by Tuesday morning , according to state data .

Former Vice President Joe Biden speaks as Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Andrew Gillum and U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) listen behind him during a campaign rally held at the University of South Florida Campus Recreation Building on October 22, 2018 in Tampa, Florida.
Joe Biden will win Florida's Democratic primary, NBC News projected Tuesday, taking another huge step toward the 2020 Democratic nomination in the shadow of the coronavirus.
He would pile up delegates with wins in Illinois and Arizona on Tuesday night, as well.
The former vice president looked headed for a blowout, setting him up for a trove of delegates as he pushes to take on President Donald Trump in November. With more than 90% of results in Tuesday, he had about 62% of the vote, compared to about 23% for Sen. Bernie Sanders.
Florida's primary allocates 219 pledged delegates, making it one of the biggest prizes on the calendar. Biden will win at least 148 delegates, while Sanders will come away with at least 33.
Biden had won 1,132 national delegates to Sanders' 817 as of late Tuesday, according to NBC. A candidate needs 1,991 delegates to clinch the party's nomination.
Speaking from his home in Wilmington, Delaware, on Tuesday night, Biden said "tackling this pandemic is a national emergency akin to fighting a war." He seemed to endorse the states moving ahead with their elections with precautions, saying "it's important for us to get through this crisis protecting both the public health and our democracy."
"Our campaign has had a very good night. We moved closer to securing the Democratic Party's nomination for president," he said after projected wins in both Florida and Illinois. He spoke directly to Sanders' supporters, saying he and his opponent "may disagree on tactics, but we share a common vision" on the need to make health care more affordable, reduce income inequality and curb climate change.
Florida forged ahead with its primary despite fears about the outbreak that forced Ohio, another state set to vote Tuesday, to stop in-person voting. The state said it took steps to prevent the spread of the coronavirus disease while voters cast ballots, including by giving poll workers disinfecting materials and moving polling sites away from high-risk places such as hospitals and nursing homes.
Even so, some local elections officials reported having to find replacements for poll workers. Nearly 2 million people had voted early or by mail by Tuesday morning, according to state data.


cnbc--2020-03-18--Trump dismissed coronavirus pandemic worry in January — now claims he long warned about it

Then , on Wednesday , the president , in a tweet , doubled down on his claim that he always took the disease `` very seriously . ''
In recent days Trump has announced new , strict guidelines designed to slow the rate of virus transmission , called for cash payments to Americans to alleviate their financial distress from the pandemic , and said he was contemplating other actions .
At the same time , U.S. deaths from coronavirus have increased to at least 85 , with more than 4,660 reported cases .
Worldwide , there are more than 183,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 7,167 deaths .
Some news reports have tied Trump 's new stance on coronavirus response to a projection that more than 2.2 million people in the United States alone would die from COVID-19 if the government and individuals did not take radical steps to restrict interactions between people .
That projection was made by an epidemic modeling group at Imperial College London , whose lead author , Neil Ferguson , has said he sent the analysis to the White House last week , according to The New York Times .
`` Was there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reporter asked the president .
`` I 've always known this is a , this is a real , this is a pandemic , '' the president said .
`` I 've felt that it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic . ''
`` All you had to do was look at other countries , I think now it 's in almost a 120 countries , all over the world .
`` No , I 've always viewed it as serious , '' he said .
`` There was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I feel the tone is similar but some people said it was n't . ''
But during his Jan. 22 interview on CNBC , Trump claimed the virus was `` totally under control . ''
Kernen opened that interview by noting that `` a case of coronavirus '' had been identified in Washington state by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention .
`` Have you been briefed by the CDC ? ''
Kernen asked .
Kernen then asked : `` Are there worries about a pandemic at this point ? ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ at all . ''
`` And , we 're , we have it totally under control , '' Trump said .
`` It 's one person coming in from China , and we have it under control .
It 's going to be just fine . ''
On Feb. 28 , Trump said that Democrats are using the coronavirus outbreak as a `` hoax '' to damage him and his administration .
`` The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus , '' the president said at a campaign rally in South Carolina .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me and said : 'Mr .
President they tried to beat you on Russia , Russia , Russia .
That did n't work out too well . '
They could n't do it .
They tried the impeachment hoax that was on a perfect conversation , '' he continued .
`` This is their new hoax , '' Trump said .
He also said that same day , `` We have to take it very , very seriously .
... We are preparing for the worst . ''
`` `` My administration has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ history to prevent the spread of this illness in the United States .
We are ready .
We are ready .
Totally ready . ''
But he also said , `` It 's going to disappear .
One day , it 's like a miracle , it will disappear . ''
Here is a timeline of Trump 's comments on coronavirus : Feb. 7 ( tweet ) : `` … as the weather starts to warm & the virus hopefully becomes weaker , and then gone . ''
Feb. 10 : `` I @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — it 's going to be fine . ''
Feb. 14 : `` We have a very small number of people in the country , right now , with it .
It 's like around 12 .
Many of them are getting better .
Some are fully recovered already .
So we 're in very good shape . ''
Feb. 19 : `` I think it 's going to work out fine .
I think when we get into April , in the warmer weather , that has a very negative effect on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
So let 's see what happens , but I think it 's going to work out fine . ''
Feb. 24 ( tweet ) : `` The Coronavirus is very much under control in the USA .
… Stock Market starting to look very good to me ! ''
Feb. 25 : `` You may ask about the coronavirus , which is very well under control in our country .
We have very few people with it , and the people that have it are … getting better .
They 're all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we 're doing with the new virus , I think that we 're doing a great job . ''
Feb. 26 : `` Because of all we 've done , the risk to the American people remains very low .
… When you have 15 people , and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero .
That 's a pretty good job we 've done . ''
Feb. 28 : `` I think it 's really going well .
… We 're prepared @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we 're going to be very fortunate . ''
Feb. 28 : `` It 's going to disappear .
One day , it 's like a miracle , it will disappear . ''
Feb. 28 : `` This is their new hoax . ''
March 4 : `` Some people will have this at a very light level and wo n't even go to a doctor or hospital , and they 'll get better .
There are many people like that . ''
March 9 ( tweet ) : `` So last year @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It averages between 27,000 and 70,000 per year .
Nothing is shut down , life & the economy go on .
At this moment there are 546 confirmed cases of CoronaVirus , with 22 deaths .
Think about that ! ''
March 10 : `` And it hit the world .
And we 're prepared , and we 're doing a great job with it .
And it will go away .
Just stay calm .
It will go away . ''
March 11 : `` I think we 're going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ March 12 : `` It 's going to go away .
...
The United States , because of what I did and what the administration did with China , we have 32 deaths at this point … when you look at the kind of numbers that you 're seeing coming out of other countries , it 's pretty amazing when you think of it . ''
March 15 : `` This is a very contagious virus .
It 's incredible .
But it 's something that we have tremendous control over . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ talking about the virus , no , that 's not under control for any place in the world . ''
March 17 : `` I 've always known this is a , this is a real , this is a pandemic … I 've felt that it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic . ''

watch now
U.S. President Donald Trump speaks during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Kevin Dietsch | Bloomberg | Getty Images
watch now
Kernen opened that interview by noting that "a case of coronavirus" had been identified in Washington state by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. "Have you been briefed by the CDC?" Kernen asked. "I have," Trump replied. Kernen then asked: "Are there worries about a pandemic at this point?" Trump said: "No. Not at all." "And, we're, we have it totally under control," Trump said. "It's one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It's going to be just fine." On Feb. 28, Trump said that Democrats are using the coronavirus outbreak as a "hoax" to damage him and his administration. "The Democrats are politicizing the coronavirus," the president said at a campaign rally in South Carolina.
President Donald Trump speaks during a CNBC Exclusive interview at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland on Jan. 22nd, 2020. Adam Galica | CNBC


cnbc--2020-03-18--China expels journalists from New York Times, Wall Street Journal and Washington Post

Wall Street Journal reporters Josh Chin ( R ) and Philip Wen walk through Beijing Capital Airport before their departure on February 24 , 2020 .
China said Tuesday that it will expel American journalists working in the country for The New York Times , The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post whose press credentials are due to expire in 2020 .
The country 's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that U.S. reporters for those publications must return their press cards within 10 days .
`` They will not be allowed to continue working as journalists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including its Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions , '' the statement said .
China also demanded that Voice of America , the Times , the Journal , the Post and Time magazine provide information about their operations in the country , including staffing and finance information .
It was not immediately clear how many American journalists would be affected , and spokespeople for each of the news outlets and Voice of America , an international broadcaster funded by Congress , did not provide figures in response to inquiries .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which comes in the midst of a global public health crisis over COVID-19 , the disease caused by coronavirus .
Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron said in a statement that it was `` particularly regrettable '' during the COVID-19 pandemic , when reliable information about the international response is essential .
`` Severely limiting the flow of that information , which China now seeks to do , only aggravates the situation , '' Baron said .
Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Matt Murray said in a statement that `` China 's unprecedented attack @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a time of unparalleled global crisis .
Trusted news reporting from and about China has never been more important . ''
`` We oppose government interference with a free press anywhere in the world .
Our commitment to reporting fully and deeply on China is unchanged , '' Murray said .
New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet said the paper had more reporters in China than anywhere besides the U.S .
He said it was `` critical that the governments of the United States and China move quickly to resolve this dispute @ @ @ @ @ @ @ work of informing the public . ''
`` The health and safety of people around the world depend on impartial reporting about its two largest economies , both of them now battling a common epidemic , '' he said .
VOA , in a statement posted to its website , said the Chinese `` restrictions on the free press are wrong and we stand firm in our commitment to free press operations in China and around the world . ''
China 's move continues a tit-for-tat battle between Washington and Beijing that began @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opinion article with the headline , `` China Is the Real Sick Man of Asia . ''
The headline infuriated the Chinese government , which responded by revoking the press passes of three reporters for the Journal 's news division , which is operates independently of its opinion pages .
In response , on March 2 , Secretary of State Mike Pompeo imposed a cap on the number of individuals permitted to work for Chinese government-controlled media organizations in the United States .
The move cut the number of employees to 100 , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Tuesday , China 's foreign affairs ministry slammed what it called the `` unwarranted restrictions on Chinese media agencies and personnel . ''
China said its retaliatory moves were `` entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures that China is compelled to take in response to the unreasonable oppression the Chinese media organizations experience in the US . ''
`` What the US has done is exclusively targeting Chinese media organizations , and hence driven by a Cold War mentality and ideological bias , '' the ministry said .
`` It has seriously tarnished @ @ @ @ @ @ @ organizations , seriously affected their normal operation in the US , and seriously disrupted people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries . ''
The ministry said the U.S. `` exposed the hypocrisy of the self-styled advocate of press freedom '' and urged Washington to `` immediately change course , undo the damage , and stop its political oppression and arbitrary restrictions on Chinese media organizations . ''
The ministry warned of further countermeasures if the U.S. `` choose to go further down the wrong path . ''
Pompeo , speaking during a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's move , saying `` I regret China 's decision to further foreclose the world 's ability to conduct free press operations . ''
`` Frankly , it would be really good for the Chinese people , really good for the Chinese people in these incredibly challenging global times where more information , more transparency are what will save lives . ''

Wall Street Journal reporters Josh Chin (R) and Philip Wen walk through Beijing Capital Airport before their departure on February 24, 2020.
China said Tuesday that it will expel American journalists working in the country for The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post whose press credentials are due to expire in 2020.
The country's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that U.S. reporters for those publications must return their press cards within 10 days.
"They will not be allowed to continue working as journalists in the People's Republic of China, including its Hong Kong and Macao Special Administrative Regions," the statement said.
China also demanded that Voice of America, the Times, the Journal, the Post and Time magazine provide information about their operations in the country, including staffing and finance information.
It was not immediately clear how many American journalists would be affected, and spokespeople for each of the news outlets and Voice of America, an international broadcaster funded by Congress, did not provide figures in response to inquiries.
But newsroom leaders criticized China's move, which comes in the midst of a global public health crisis over COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus.
Washington Post Executive Editor Marty Baron said in a statement that it was "particularly regrettable" during the COVID-19 pandemic, when reliable information about the international response is essential. "Severely limiting the flow of that information, which China now seeks to do, only aggravates the situation," Baron said.
Wall Street Journal Editor-in-Chief Matt Murray said in a statement that "China's unprecedented attack on freedom of the press comes at a time of unparalleled global crisis. Trusted news reporting from and about China has never been more important."
"We oppose government interference with a free press anywhere in the world. Our commitment to reporting fully and deeply on China is unchanged," Murray said.
New York Times Executive Editor Dean Baquet said the paper had more reporters in China than anywhere besides the U.S. He said it was "critical that the governments of the United States and China move quickly to resolve this dispute and allow journalists to do the important work of informing the public."
"The health and safety of people around the world depend on impartial reporting about its two largest economies, both of them now battling a common epidemic," he said.
VOA, in a statement posted to its website, said the Chinese "restrictions on the free press are wrong and we stand firm in our commitment to free press operations in China and around the world."
China's move continues a tit-for-tat battle between Washington and Beijing that began in February after the Journal ran an opinion article with the headline, "China Is the Real Sick Man of Asia."
The headline infuriated the Chinese government, which responded by revoking the press passes of three reporters for the Journal's news division, which is operates independently of its opinion pages.
In response, on March 2, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo imposed a cap on the number of individuals permitted to work for Chinese government-controlled media organizations in the United States. The move cut the number of employees to 100, down from 160.
In its statement on Tuesday, China's foreign affairs ministry slammed what it called the "unwarranted restrictions on Chinese media agencies and personnel."
China said its retaliatory moves were "entirely necessary and reciprocal countermeasures that China is compelled to take in response to the unreasonable oppression the Chinese media organizations experience in the US."
"What the US has done is exclusively targeting Chinese media organizations, and hence driven by a Cold War mentality and ideological bias," the ministry said. "It has seriously tarnished the reputation and image of Chinese media organizations, seriously affected their normal operation in the US, and seriously disrupted people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries."
The ministry said the U.S. "exposed the hypocrisy of the self-styled advocate of press freedom" and urged Washington to "immediately change course, undo the damage, and stop its political oppression and arbitrary restrictions on Chinese media organizations."
The ministry warned of further countermeasures if the U.S. "choose to go further down the wrong path."
Pompeo, speaking during a news conference on Tuesday, addressed China's move, saying "I regret China's decision to further foreclose the world's ability to conduct free press operations."
"Frankly, it would be really good for the Chinese people, really good for the Chinese people in these incredibly challenging global times where more information, more transparency are what will save lives."
-- CNBC's Amanda Macias contributed to this report.


cnbc--2020-03-19--Senate GOP releases coronavirus relief plan with up to $1,200 in cash payments to individuals

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , a Republican from Kentucky , speaks during a news conference after a weekly caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington , D.C. , on Tuesday , Jan. 14 , 2020 .
Senate Republicans released their proposal for a third coronavirus relief package Thursday as Washington moves swiftly to try to head off economic disaster .
The 247-page legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , expected to cost at least $ 1 trillion , includes cash payments to Americans .
The measure — the final form of which will be subject to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ — also includes relief for small businesses and major industries hammered by the global pandemic .
`` We 're here , and we are ready to act as soon as an agreement with our colleagues across the aisle can be reached , '' the Kentucky Republican said in releasing the plan that aims to avert calamity as the outbreak grinds American life to a halt .
An aid for the Democratic House Appropriations Committee said the committee is disappointed in the lack of supplemental funding for federal state and local response .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ funding for a strong federal , state , and local coronavirus response to include in the phase three bill .
Supplemental appropriations are an essential part of a whole-of-government strategy to address this pandemic and it is irresponsible for Senate Republican leadership to omit these needed resources from its proposal , '' he said in a statement .
McConnell said the bill includes four major components : `` direct financial help '' for Americans , `` rapid relief '' for small businesses , `` significant steps to stabilize our economy '' and `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ patients .
Here are some of the details of the plan , according to Senate Republicans : • Cash payments of up to $ 1,200 would go to individuals , with up to $ 2,400 for couples .
The sum would increase by $ 500 for every child .
The check totals would start to phase out above $ 75,000 in adjusted gross income based on 2018 tax returns .
People with no federal tax liability would get only $ 600 .
• Extend the tax filing deadline to July 15 from April @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tax payments until Oct. 15 .
Employers and self-employed people could delay payroll taxes .
• Up to $ 50 billion for airlines , $ 8 billion for cargo air carriers , and $ 150 billion for other severely distressed businesses .
The government has the right to `` participate in the gains '' of any business it lends money to .
• For two years , no executive at a company receiving a business loan may make more than $ 425,000 in total compensation .
Executives whose salary has already been determined @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from that restriction .
• Any company with less than 500 employees is entitled to a small business loan .
The cap of that loan is either $ 10 million or the average of monthly payments .
Businesses use the loan to pay for payroll including paid sick leave , salaries , mortgages , rent , utilities or other debt obligations .
• All private health plans must cover testing without cost-sharing and increase funding for community health centers .
It also aims to spur the hiring of more health care professionals to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gives the Education Department authority to suspend federal student loan payments for up to three months .
he Senate has been under immense pressure to get a deal done with the House and Trump administration as quickly as possible .
The ailing U.S. airline industry , which is expecting financial relief from the package , has rung the alarm of the catastrophic impact the halt in travel has on business .
It is unclear how much longer companies can stay afloat without federal relief .
Workers have lost jobs at shuttered restaurants and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about how the global pandemic will hit American small businesses .
Adding to the urgency , two congressmen have tested positive for the coronavirus , while others are in self-quarantine .
Still , the latest package may get caught up in political wrangling .
Some Democrats , and some Republicans , have expressed previous concerns that sending checks to Americans may not be enough .
Sen. Lindsey Graham , R-S.C. , told reporters Thursday that `` it makes no sense now to me . ''
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what their party would support , shortly after the Republicans released their plan .
They called for a `` Marshall Plan to rebuild our health care infrastructure '' along with provisions to boost workers .
`` To earn Democratic support in the Congress , any economic stimulus proposal must include new , strong and strict provisions that prioritize and protect workers , such as banning the recipient companies from buying back stock , rewarding executives , and laying off workers , '' the Democratic leaders said in a joint statement Thursday .
While @ @ @ @ @ @ @ salary of executives who work at companies accepting federal aid , it does not ban buy-backs or forbid worker layoffs .
Once the Senate strikes an agreement and passes a relief package , it will head to the House , which is on a temporary recess .
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told members Thursday that the chamber would not return until it is `` in a position to vote on the third piece of emergency legislation to respond to the economic impact of this crisis . ''
Meantime , McConnell indicated that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to top $ 1 trillion , may not be enough to offer sufficient government relief as business across the U.S. economy grinds to a halt .
`` This may not be the last piece of economic legislation we pursue , '' he said .
Graham acknowledged the importance of getting the third proposal done quickly — by early next week .
`` If we do n't , we 're going get our ass kicked , '' he said Thursday .
`` So that 's why I think we have to do it .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ myself . ''

Senate Republicans released their proposal for a third coronavirus relief package Thursday as Washington pushes to try to head off economic disaster.
The 247-page legislation introduced by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, expected to cost at least $1 trillion, includes cash payments to Americans. The measure — the final form of which will be subject to talks with Democrats and the White House — also includes relief for small businesses and major industries hammered by the global pandemic.
"We're here, and we are ready to act as soon as an agreement with our colleagues across the aisle can be reached," the Kentucky Republican said in releasing the plan that aims to avert calamity as the outbreak grinds American life to a halt.
McConnell said the bill includes four major components: "direct financial help" for Americans, "rapid relief" for small businesses, "significant steps to stabilize our economy" and "more support" for health-care professionals and patients.
The bill extends $108 billion to ailing big businesses, including airlines, loans to small businesses with less than 500 employees and the potential for student loan deferral up to three months.
Here are some of the details of the plan, according to Senate Republicans:
Cash payments of up to $1,200 would go to individuals, with up to $2,400 for couples. The sum would increase by $500 for every child. The check totals would start to phase out above $75,000 in adjusted gross income based on 2018 tax returns. People with no federal tax liability would get only $600.
Extend the tax filing deadline to July 15 from April 15.
The ability for corporations to delay estimated tax payments until Oct. 15. Employers and self-employed people could delay payroll taxes.
Up to $50 billion for airlines, $8 billion for cargo air carriers, and $150 billion for other severely distressed businesses. The government has the right to "participate in the gains" of any business it lends money to.
For two years, no executive at a company receiving a business loan making more than $425,000 in total compensation can get a raise. Executives whose salary has already been determined through collective bargaining agreements may be exempt from that restriction.
Small business loans for any company with less than 500 employees. The cap of that loan is either $10 million or the average of monthly payments. Businesses use the loan to pay for payroll including paid sick leave, salaries, mortgages, rent, utilities or other debt obligations.
Forgiveness of the parts of the loan used for payroll if companies do not fire workers before June 30.
Private health plan coverage of testing without cost-sharing and increase funding for community health centers. It also aims to spur the hiring of more health care professionals to fight the pandemic.
The potential to suspend federal student loan payments for up to three months.
Not long after its release, Democrats slammed the Republican proposal.
"We are beginning to review Senator McConnell's proposal and on first reading, it is not at all pro-worker and instead puts corporations way ahead of workers," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in a statement.
Democrats have made clear they want the third legislative package to focus on workers and individuals battling the crisis.
The Republican bill allocates up to $50 billion for airlines, $8 billion for cargo air carriers, and $150 billion for other severely distressed businesses
While the Republicans' plan does cap the salary of executives who work at companies accepting federal aid, it does not ban buybacks or forbid worker layoffs.
Meantime, an aid for the Democratic House Appropriations Committee said the committee is disappointed in the lack of supplemental funding for federal, state and local response. States have been funneling resources to funding the battle against the virus.
"The Appropriations Committee is working on robust funding for a strong federal, state, and local coronavirus response to include in the phase three bill. Supplemental appropriations are an essential part of a whole-of-government strategy to address this pandemic and it is irresponsible for Senate Republican leadership to omit these needed resources from its proposal," he said in a statement.
The pushback from Democrats comes as Congress has been under immense pressure to get a deal done with the House and Trump administration as quickly as possible. The ailing U.S. airline industry, which is expecting financial relief from the package, has rung the alarm of the catastrophic impact the halt in travel has on business. It is unclear how much longer companies can stay afloat without federal relief.
Workers have lost jobs at shuttered restaurants and bars. Lawmakers have expressed particular concern about how the global pandemic will hit American small businesses.
Adding to the urgency, two congressmen have tested positive for the coronavirus, while others are in self-quarantine.
Key parts of the bill could change as Democrats and Republicans negotiate. Howard Gleckman, a senior fellow at the Urban-Brookings Tax Policy Center, expects Democrats will not support the direct payment proposal as currently structured.
Referring to the stipulation that individuals who paid no federal tax in 2018 would get only $600, he said "the idea that you would give low-income people less money than upper-income people just doesn't make any sense as policy." He said one potential alternative is giving everyone the same sum and then taxing it as income, so lower-income individuals will effectively end up with more than people with higher incomes.
Once the Senate strikes an agreement and passes a relief package, it will head to the House, which is on a temporary recess. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer told members Thursday that the chamber would not return until it is "in a position to vote on the third piece of emergency legislation to respond to the economic impact of this crisis."
Meantime, McConnell indicated that even this next legislative package, likely to top $1 trillion, may not be enough to offer sufficient government relief as business across the U.S. economy grinds to a halt.
"This may not be the last piece of economic legislation we pursue," he said.
Graham acknowledged the importance of getting the third proposal done quickly — by early next week.
"If we don't, we're going get our ass kicked," he said Thursday. "So that's why I think we have to do it. I'll be the first to kick myself."


cnbc--2020-03-19--Three pillars of Trump's case for reelection are collapsing all at once

WASHINGTON — Looking back now , the night of Feb. 4 was probably the pinnacle of Donald Trump 's presidency .
A few minutes past 9 p.m .
ET , Trump entered the ornate House Chamber and then glad-handed his way down the aisle , all to the sound of thundering applause from Republicans , who chanted `` four more years . ''
This was Trump 's third State of the Union address .
The 90-minute speech Trump delivered was packed with the confidence , self-flattery and showmanship that have become hallmarks of his tenure .
The speech also reflected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sentiment that millions of Americans shared with him at the time , according to polls .
Financial markets were soaring and the unemployment rate was at a historic low .
That afternoon , the Nasdaq Composite Index had set a record high , at 9,467 .
The Dow Jones Industrial Average , an indicator Trump often touts , closed at 28,807 that day , already well on its way to an all-time high of 29,551 it would hit later that month .
The economy was n't the only thing Trump was celebrating that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses , Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders , won the popular vote .
Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist who would not fare as well against Trump in the general election as former Vice President Joe Biden would , according to polling .
Trump also knew that the next day he would be acquitted in his impeachment trial in the Senate .
For Trump , the verdict would represent a long-awaited triumph over his perceived enemies , including Democrats in Congress , whistleblowers in his own White House , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who Trump feared were plotting to bring him down .
With his impeachment trial behind him and his approval ratings the highest they had ever been , Trump seemed perfectly positioned to easily win reelection in November .
And , now , almost all of it is gone .
In just over a month , three pillars underpinning his argument for reelection have all collapsed : The strong economy Trump planned to run on ; the Sanders campaign Trump had planned to run against ; and the `` us vs. them '' approach @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on which Trump has built his political brand .
On Wednesday , the Dow fell below the level it closed at on Jan. 19 , 2017 , the day before Trump took office promising to `` make America wealthy again . ''
The market losses reflect broader anxieties across the nation , where coronavirus has forced the shutdown of major parts of the U.S. economy and made a recession all but inevitable .
Meanwhile , Sanders and the far-left progressive movement he promised to build have failed to win over Democratic primary voters @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nominate an experienced moderate , Biden , to run against Trump in the fall .
Back in Washington , Trump is trying to orchestrate a sprawling federal response to the coronavirus epidemic bolstered by a White House message machine that churns out daily praise releases hailing Trump 's `` whole-of-government '' approach .
But by spearheading a massive handout of federal money through big government programs , Trump undermines one of the central tenets of Trumpism : his belief that the federal government is a corrupt , bloated and broken institution , at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ fill its ranks are not to be trusted .
`` The coronavirus crisis has exposed Trump as not being well-prepared and himself as not being a hard worker , '' said Matthew Barreto , a professor of political science and Chicano studies at UCLA .
`` Since my election , U.S. stock markets have soared 70 % , adding more than $ 12 trillion to our nation 's wealth , transcending anything anyone believed was possible , '' Trump said during his State of the Union address in February .
The U.S. economy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago , and we are never , ever going back . ''
On Feb. 12 , eight days after Trump promised Americans a future filled with endless growth , the Dow hit its record high .
But now , less than eight weeks later , panic over the coronavirus pandemic has rendered the president 's promises hollow .
Markets have fallen more than 30 % in a matter of days .
Much of the wealth Trump claimed credit for has been erased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economy could shrink by 5 % in the second quarter of this year , as schools , bars , restaurants , theaters , gyms and workplaces across the country are shuttered for weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus .
On Wednesday , a JPMorgan analyst warned the Q2 contraction could be up to 14 % .
Major airlines are in danger of bankruptcy as travelers cancel trips and stay close to home , some by choice , and others under orders from state and local governments .
All of this is expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump said Monday , although it could be `` longer than that . ''
Economists and investors now appear resigned to the fact that the U.S. economy will enter into a recession , defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth .
The only questions remaining now are how long the recession will last , and how deep it will cut .
On Tuesday , Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin reportedly told Senate Republicans that , barring a massive government intervention in the economy , the U.S. unemployment rate could soar to 20 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ at a briefing on Wednesday , Mnuchin said the figure was `` an absolute total worst case scenario , '' but not something Mnuchin ever believed would actually happen .
But whether the final figure turns out to be merely bad or catastrophic , history indicates that they 're going to be terrible for Trump 's reelection prospects .
`` It would be very difficult for the president to survive in November '' if the economy sinks into recession , said William Galston , a senior fellow in governance at the Brookings Institution @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a precedent for it . ''
Despite the dire economic warning signs , though , Trump 's reelection campaign still claims ownership for what it calls `` the Trump economy . ''
`` The underlying fundamentals of the Trump economy are strong , and President Trump is ensuring that the robust prosperity Americans are experiencing is here to stay , '' Kayleigh McEnany , a top campaign spokeswoman , told CNBC .
Trump 's Democratic opponents , she said , would `` undo the Trump economy . ''
This kind of boundless economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump 's political DNA .
So has Trump 's willingness to ignore economic reality in order to paint a sunnier picture than facts on the ground support , whether it be of the financial markets , the U.S. economy , his own personal wealth , or his business deals .
Markets did indeed reverse on Friday after a month of historic declines , and rise sharply .
But Trump 's tweet is still deeply misleading .
Friday 's market surge was an outlier data point , and Trump was using it to mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ drastic declines this week .
With the election and a potential recession looming , Trump 's habit of pretending the economy is doing better than it really is becomes increasingly risky , said Galston .
`` Trump has to be careful now , not to say things that contradict the evidence of ordinary people 's experiences , what 's right in front of them every day , '' he said .
`` As president , you can say almost anything you want about Afghanistan , or Iran , or court cases .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ having difficulty and experiencing personal pain , you ca n't tell them the sky is blue when it 's green , '' he said .
Trump is hardly the first candidate to see the bottom drop out of their biggest campaign promise .
But there 's a saying in politics : If you ca n't convince voters that you 're the best guy , then convince them that your opponent is the worst .
Trump is a master of this kind of negative campaigning .
`` Americans of all political beliefs are sick @ @ @ @ @ @ @ left socialists , '' Trump said at a campaign rally in New Jersey in late January .
`` Really , the Democrat Party is the socialist party and maybe worse . ''
Later in the rally .
Trump claimed that Democrats `` have never been more extreme than they are right now , '' adding : `` These people are crazy .
They 're taking their cues from socialists like Bernie [ Sanders ] . ''
When Trump said this , polls were in fact showing Sanders with a comfortable lead in a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ likely some Democrats taking cues from him .
And it 's also true that Sanders has embraced the label of `` democratic socialist , '' and he has made no secret of his admiration for `` Nordic model '' economies , which use heavy taxation to redistribute wealth and fund a vast social welfare system .
For Trump , Sanders ' early success in Iowa , New Hampshire and Nevada came as very good news .
Long before the Democratic primaries began , Trump had been ginning up his supporters for more than @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Democrats are all socialists bent on destroying free markets .
As long as Sanders was in the lead , Trump had the best possible platform for making dark prophecies about what the socialist takeover of America by a President Sanders might look like .
Reelecting Trump was the last best hope voters had , the de facto choice for anyone who did n't relish the idea of the United States becoming the next Venezuela , the reasoning went .
When Trump swore in his State of the Union address in February that he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ health care , '' he was taking a direct shot at Sanders ' `` Medicare for All '' plan .
The night Trump pledged to save America from Sanders , Biden 's campaign was at a crossroads .
He had just placed fourth in the Iowa caucus , a finish even the candidate admitted was `` a gut punch . ''
The following week , Biden finished a distant fifth in the New Hampshire primary , and then placed second in the Nevada caucus .
By then , the Biden campaign was practically @ @ @ @ @ @ @ around the country were waking up to the very real possibility that Sanders — who is n't even a registered Democrat , he 's an independent — would be atop the party 's ticket come November .
But everything changed on Feb. 29 , when Biden demolished the rest of the Democratic field in South Carolina 's highly anticipated primary .
It was the first primary in the South , and Biden won by a jaw-dropping margin of nearly 30 points .
Since then , Biden has won the lion 's share of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ night , the former vice president won contests in Arizona , Florida and Illinois , cementing his near-insurmountable delegate lead over Sanders .
All this good news for Biden , however , is bad news for Trump .
`` Trump was very much hoping to run against Bernie Sanders and play the so-called socialism card , and now that plan has also fallen apart , '' said Baretto of UCLA .
`` Vice President Biden is going to be a very formidable opponent , who has more experience than Trump does in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ worse for Trump , Biden has firsthand experience responding to a national economic crisis , which gives him a unique vantage point from which to challenge Trump 's decisions .
`` You are going to hear Biden talk more and more about his role in the 2009 economic recovery package that he helped promote during the Obama administration , '' Baretto said .
`` The 2008 recession was very severe .
Looking back , most economists give the Obama administration a lot of credit for stabilizing the economy , and Biden played a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ' primary campaign fades away , expect to see the Trump campaign working hard to saddle Biden with Sanders ' most polarizing political baggage .
`` Democrats are choosing between two far-left extremists who seek to open our borders , destroy millions of jobs by eliminating fossil fuels , and oppose travel restrictions '' that helped limit the spread of coronavirus , McEnany told CNBC .
Moments later , McEnany linked them together again , saying , `` both Bernie and Biden would undo the Trump economy and lack the leadership necessary to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Trump is navigating with a whole of America approach . ''
As Trump and his administration begin to cobble together a massive , government-managed , trillion-dollar stimulus package to blunt the economic effects of coronavirus , yet another piece of Trump 's reelection pitch is falling apart : Trump 's insistence that he is at war against `` big government , '' a `` rigged system '' that he claims is controlled by his enemies , Democrats , the media , `` deep state , '' and the `` swamp . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ in part because his supporters believed that he would dismantle a corrupt ruling class of lobbyists and technocrats , `` drain the swamp , '' and `` downsize the bloated federal bureaucracy . ''
Four years later , federal agencies have indeed been gutted , largely through a combination of attrition , budget cuts , `` streamlining '' and low morale .
But all of a sudden , in the face of coronavirus , Trump 's pledge to fight the administrative state and `` drain the swamp '' has been sidelined in favor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
As frightened , desperate Americans have increasingly looked to the federal government for help , Trump has pulled an about-face in recent days , after weeks of downplaying and dismissing the threat from coronavirus .
Starting this week , Trump has donned the mantle of big government himself , taking credit for the federal response and attacking the news media for any perceived criticism of it .
Yet transforming oneself abruptly from a crusader battling the evils of big government into a benevolent bureaucrat ready to dole out big government bailouts @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people checks in the mail , is n't easy .
Already , Trump 's deep cuts to the federal workforce over the past three years have come back to haunt him .
Last week , Trump came under fire over the 2018 closure of the National Security Council 's global health office in the White House , which was responsible for coordinating pandemic responses .
When a reporter asked the president about the closure of the office , Trump became defensive and flustered , calling the question `` nasty '' and saying he @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It 's the administration , perhaps they do that , '' Trump said , apparently referring to his own administration .
In order for Trump to make a cogent argument for reelection , he will need to find a way to reconcile the two contradictory versions of himself that he 's currently projecting .
There 's precoronavirus Trump , who built an entire presidency on principles such as not giving away government benefits for free and not trusting career bureaucrats .
And there 's post-coronavirus Trump , who tweeted out this message , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` 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 said .
`` It sure is easy to hate government until you need it . ''
Correction : This story was updated to clarify how polls characterize Sanders ' chances against Trump in the general election .

President Donald Trump speaks at a Make America Great Again rally at the Civic Center in Charleston, West Virginia. Leah Millis | Reuters
WASHINGTON — Looking back now, the night of Feb. 4 was probably the pinnacle of Donald Trump's presidency. A few minutes past 9 p.m. ET, Trump entered the ornate House Chamber and then glad-handed his way down the aisle, all to the sound of thundering applause from Republicans, who chanted "four more years." This was Trump's third State of the Union address. The 90-minute speech Trump delivered was packed with the confidence, self-flattery and showmanship that have become hallmarks of his tenure. The speech also reflected his optimism about the economy, a sentiment that millions of Americans shared with him at the time, according to polls. Financial markets were soaring and the unemployment rate was at a historic low. That afternoon, the Nasdaq Composite Index had set a record high, at 9,467. The Dow Jones Industrial Average, an indicator Trump often touts, closed at 28,807 that day, already well on its way to an all-time high of 29,551 it would hit later that month.
watch now
The economy wasn't the only thing Trump was celebrating that Tuesday night. A day earlier, in the first-in-the-nation Iowa caucuses, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, won the popular vote. Sanders is a self-described democratic socialist who would not fare as well against Trump in the general election as former Vice President Joe Biden would, according to polling. Trump also knew that the next day he would be acquitted in his impeachment trial in the Senate. For Trump, the verdict would represent a long-awaited triumph over his perceived enemies, including Democrats in Congress, whistleblowers in his own White House, and the "deep state" government bureaucrats who Trump feared were plotting to bring him down. With his impeachment trial behind him and his approval ratings the highest they had ever been, Trump seemed perfectly positioned to easily win reelection in November. And, now, almost all of it is gone. In just over a month, three pillars underpinning his argument for reelection have all collapsed: The strong economy Trump planned to run on; the Sanders campaign Trump had planned to run against; and the "us vs. them" approach to Washington and the federal government, on which Trump has built his political brand.
President Donald Trump delivers his State of the Union address to a joint session of the U.S. Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S. February 4, 2020. Leah Millis | Reuters
On Wednesday, the Dow fell below the level it closed at on Jan. 19, 2017, the day before Trump took office promising to "make America wealthy again." The market losses reflect broader anxieties across the nation, where coronavirus has forced the shutdown of major parts of the U.S. economy and made a recession all but inevitable. Meanwhile, Sanders and the far-left progressive movement he promised to build have failed to win over Democratic primary voters. Instead, they are poised to nominate an experienced moderate, Biden, to run against Trump in the fall. Back in Washington, Trump is trying to orchestrate a sprawling federal response to the coronavirus epidemic bolstered by a White House message machine that churns out daily praise releases hailing Trump's "whole-of-government" approach. But by spearheading a massive handout of federal money through big government programs, Trump undermines one of the central tenets of Trumpism: his belief that the federal government is a corrupt, bloated and broken institution, at that the "unelected bureaucrats" who fill its ranks are not to be trusted. "The coronavirus crisis has exposed Trump as not being well-prepared and himself as not being a hard worker," said Matthew Barreto, a professor of political science and Chicano studies at UCLA.
watch now
"When everything is going well, these deep character flaws are hidden. But when a major crisis hits, voters will remember that Trump was completely asleep, and even passed along misleading and false information." As of Thursday morning, there were more than 9,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, and more than 150 Americans had died from it. The stock market has had nonstop volatility, and jobless claims for last week jumped ahead of a likely surge in layoffs. Already, polls are showing that voters have more confidence in the federal government as a whole, than they do in the president. A recent NBC/Wall Street Journal Poll found that 62% of respondents have confidence in the federal government to handle the coronavirus crisis, compared with 48% who said they had confidence in Trump.
The end of prosperity?
"Since my election, U.S. stock markets have soared 70%, adding more than $12 trillion to our nation's wealth, transcending anything anyone believed was possible," Trump said during his State of the Union address in February. The U.S. economy, he said, is "moving forward at a pace that was unimaginable just a short time ago, and we are never, ever going back." On Feb. 12, eight days after Trump promised Americans a future filled with endless growth, the Dow hit its record high. But now, less than eight weeks later, panic over the coronavirus pandemic has rendered the president's promises hollow. Markets have fallen more than 30% in a matter of days. Much of the wealth Trump claimed credit for has been erased. Many analysts now predict the U.S. economy could shrink by 5% in the second quarter of this year, as schools, bars, restaurants, theaters, gyms and workplaces across the country are shuttered for weeks to prevent the spread of coronavirus. On Wednesday, a JPMorgan analyst warned the Q2 contraction could be up to 14%. Major airlines are in danger of bankruptcy as travelers cancel trips and stay close to home, some by choice, and others under orders from state and local governments. All of this is expected to continue well into the summer, Trump said Monday, although it could be "longer than that." Economists and investors now appear resigned to the fact that the U.S. economy will enter into a recession, defined as two consecutive quarters of negative growth. The only questions remaining now are how long the recession will last, and how deep it will cut. On Tuesday, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin reportedly told Senate Republicans that, barring a massive government intervention in the economy, the U.S. unemployment rate could soar to 20% within months. Asked about the comments at a briefing on Wednesday, Mnuchin said the figure was "an absolute total worst case scenario," but not something Mnuchin ever believed would actually happen.
Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury secretary, right, speaks beside U.S. President Donald Trump during a Coronavirus Task Force news conference in the briefing room of the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, March 17, 2020. Kevin Dietsch | Bloomberg | Getty Images.
But whether the final figure turns out to be merely bad or catastrophic, history indicates that they're going to be terrible for Trump's reelection prospects. "It would be very difficult for the president to survive in November" if the economy sinks into recession, said William Galston, a senior fellow in governance at the Brookings Institution. "I can't think of a precedent for it." Despite the dire economic warning signs, though, Trump's reelection campaign still claims ownership for what it calls "the Trump economy." "The underlying fundamentals of the Trump economy are strong, and President Trump is ensuring that the robust prosperity Americans are experiencing is here to stay," Kayleigh McEnany, a top campaign spokeswoman, told CNBC. Trump's Democratic opponents, she said, would "undo the Trump economy." This kind of boundless economic optimism has long been a part of Trump's political DNA. So has Trump's willingness to ignore economic reality in order to paint a sunnier picture than facts on the ground support, whether it be of the financial markets, the U.S. economy, his own personal wealth, or his business deals. TRUMP TWEET Markets did indeed reverse on Friday after a month of historic declines, and rise sharply. But Trump's tweet is still deeply misleading. Friday's market surge was an outlier data point, and Trump was using it to mask a larger reality. Stocks resumed their drastic declines this week. With the election and a potential recession looming, Trump's habit of pretending the economy is doing better than it really is becomes increasingly risky, said Galston. "Trump has to be careful now, not to say things that contradict the evidence of ordinary people's experiences, what's right in front of them every day," he said. "As president, you can say almost anything you want about Afghanistan, or Iran, or court cases. But when tens of millions of families are having difficulty and experiencing personal pain, you can't tell them the sky is blue when it's green," he said.
The Biden bump
Trump is hardly the first candidate to see the bottom drop out of their biggest campaign promise. But there's a saying in politics: If you can't convince voters that you're the best guy, then convince them that your opponent is the worst. Trump is a master of this kind of negative campaigning. "Americans of all political beliefs are sick and tired of the radical, rage-filled left socialists," Trump said at a campaign rally in New Jersey in late January. "Really, the Democrat Party is the socialist party and maybe worse." Later in the rally. Trump claimed that Democrats "have never been more extreme than they are right now," adding: "These people are crazy. They're taking their cues from socialists like Bernie [Sanders]."
Senator Bernie Sanders speaks during Bernie Sanders Rally "Bernie's Back" in Queensbridge Park. Lev Radin | LightRocket | Getty Images
When Trump said this, polls were in fact showing Sanders with a comfortable lead in a crowded Democratic field, so there were likely some Democrats taking cues from him. And it's also true that Sanders has embraced the label of "democratic socialist," and he has made no secret of his admiration for "Nordic model" economies, which use heavy taxation to redistribute wealth and fund a vast social welfare system. For Trump, Sanders' early success in Iowa, New Hampshire and Nevada came as very good news. Long before the Democratic primaries began, Trump had been ginning up his supporters for more than a year with wild claims about how Democrats are all socialists bent on destroying free markets. As long as Sanders was in the lead, Trump had the best possible platform for making dark prophecies about what the socialist takeover of America by a President Sanders might look like. Reelecting Trump was the last best hope voters had, the de facto choice for anyone who didn't relish the idea of the United States becoming the next Venezuela, the reasoning went. When Trump swore in his State of the Union address in February that he would "never let socialism destroy American health care," he was taking a direct shot at Sanders' "Medicare for All" plan. The night Trump pledged to save America from Sanders, Biden's campaign was at a crossroads. He had just placed fourth in the Iowa caucus, a finish even the candidate admitted was "a gut punch." The following week, Biden finished a distant fifth in the New Hampshire primary, and then placed second in the Nevada caucus. By then, the Biden campaign was practically on life support. Millions of Democrats around the country were waking up to the very real possibility that Sanders — who isn't even a registered Democrat, he's an independent — would be atop the party's ticket come November. But everything changed on Feb. 29, when Biden demolished the rest of the Democratic field in South Carolina's highly anticipated primary. It was the first primary in the South, and Biden won by a jaw-dropping margin of nearly 30 points.
Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden talks with supporters at a campaign event at Wofford University February 28, 2020 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. Sean Rayford | Getty Images
Since then, Biden has won the lion's share of Democratic primaries and delegates. On Tuesday night, the former vice president won contests in Arizona, Florida and Illinois, cementing his near-insurmountable delegate lead over Sanders. All this good news for Biden, however, is bad news for Trump. "Trump was very much hoping to run against Bernie Sanders and play the so-called socialism card, and now that plan has also fallen apart," said Baretto of UCLA. "Vice President Biden is going to be a very formidable opponent, who has more experience than Trump does in the White House." To make matters worse for Trump, Biden has firsthand experience responding to a national economic crisis, which gives him a unique vantage point from which to challenge Trump's decisions. "You are going to hear Biden talk more and more about his role in the 2009 economic recovery package that he helped promote during the Obama administration," Baretto said. "The 2008 recession was very severe. Looking back, most economists give the Obama administration a lot of credit for stabilizing the economy, and Biden played a role in that." As Sanders' primary campaign fades away, expect to see the Trump campaign working hard to saddle Biden with Sanders' most polarizing political baggage. "Democrats are choosing between two far-left extremists who seek to open our borders, destroy millions of jobs by eliminating fossil fuels, and oppose travel restrictions" that helped limit the spread of coronavirus, McEnany told CNBC. Moments later, McEnany linked them together again, saying, "both Bernie and Biden would undo the Trump economy and lack the leadership necessary to guide our country through the pandemic that President Trump is navigating with a whole of America approach."
The 'invisible enemy'
As Trump and his administration begin to cobble together a massive, government-managed, trillion-dollar stimulus package to blunt the economic effects of coronavirus, yet another piece of Trump's reelection pitch is falling apart: Trump's insistence that he is at war against "big government," a "rigged system" that he claims is controlled by his enemies, Democrats, the media, "deep state," and the "swamp." In 2016, Trump won the presidency in part because his supporters believed that he would dismantle a corrupt ruling class of lobbyists and technocrats, "drain the swamp," and "downsize the bloated federal bureaucracy." Four years later, federal agencies have indeed been gutted, largely through a combination of attrition, budget cuts, "streamlining" and low morale. But all of a sudden, in the face of coronavirus, Trump's pledge to fight the administrative state and "drain the swamp" has been sidelined in favor of phrases like "a whole-of-government approach." As frightened, desperate Americans have increasingly looked to the federal government for help, Trump has pulled an about-face in recent days, after weeks of downplaying and dismissing the threat from coronavirus. Starting this week, Trump has donned the mantle of big government himself, taking credit for the federal response and attacking the news media for any perceived criticism of it. Yet transforming oneself abruptly from a crusader battling the evils of big government into a benevolent bureaucrat ready to dole out big government bailouts, set up task forces and send people checks in the mail, isn't easy. Already, Trump's deep cuts to the federal workforce over the past three years have come back to haunt him.
President Donald Trump announces his decision for the United States to pull out of the Paris climate agreement in the Rose Garden at the White House June 1, 2017 in Washington, DC. Win McNamee | Getty Images


cnbc--2020-03-19--Trump advisor Peter Navarro slams Big Pharma's lobbying against possible 'Buy America' executive ord

Trump advisor Peter Navarro slams Big Pharma's lobbying against possible 'Buy America' executive order

One of President Donald Trump 's leading trade advisors slammed Big Pharma 's attempts to lobby against an executive order he is preparing to push companies to relocate medical supply chains to the United States .
When asked about the push by lobbying group PhRMA against the executive order , Peter Navvaro told CNBC , `` This Big Pharma spin is simply a desperate attempt to stop President Donald J. Trump from moving the production of our essential medicines and medical equipment and supplies to the U.S. '' Navarro , known for his hawkish views on China , told CNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an executive order to Trump that would aim to reduce United States dependency on foreign manufacturers for medicine .
About 72 % of pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers supplying the U.S. are located overseas , including 13 % in China , according to October congressional testimony by Janet Woodcock , director of the Food and Drug Administration 's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research .
The executive order Navarro is planning will streamline regulatory approvals for `` American-made '' products and look to impose similar FDA restrictions on U.S. facilities as those abroad .
It @ @ @ @ @ @ @ including the Department of Defense , Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Veterans Affairs , to only buy American-made medical products .
PhRMA has rolled out a heavy lobbying push in return , according to people familiar with the industry 's thinking and a document seen by CNBC .
The trade group – which represents companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb , Pfizer , Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi – contends that too much manufacturing in the U.S. makes it as vulnerable to disruption in the event of a crisis .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ can develop new treatments and cures and that American patients have access to them .
This executive order could threaten that .
In times of crisis , a diverse supply chain is more important than ever , '' a spokesperson for the group said .
Navarro pushed back against that claim , saying the executive order will have full exemptions for crises like the coronavirus pandemic .
`` The global Big Pharma lobby which has moved all of our production offshore is now lying about an executive order they have n't read and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the current China virus crisis and any period of national emergency , '' he said .
`` Nothing in the order will prevent us from getting what we need , when we need it , and from wherever we need it . ''
`` The first rule of the order is 'do no harm , ' '' Navarro said .
`` The second rule is to bring our pharma supply chains home over time , '' he added .
Navarro also dismissed the group 's argument that `` Buy America '' mandates for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ effectively interpreted as a trade war .
The group is worried that trade partners could respond to the executive order by imposing export restrictions or other means of punishment , a person familiar with the industry 's thinking told CNBC .
The U.S. is particularly vulnerable to such moves as the world battles a health crisis .
`` The movement of supply chains and production and essential medicines to the U.S. is not just a matter of public health and economic security , it 's a matter of national defense , '' Navarro @ @ @ @ @ @ @ broader chorus that have pointed to the coronavirus pandemic to highlight what he and others view as U.S. vulnerability , due to its dependence on foreign manufacturing .
The industry has long relied on less-expensive overseas manufacturing as a way to keep costs down .
It has often pushed back on pressure to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. by noting that the complexities of the supply chain make it difficult to reconfigure .
But as countries around the world battle the coronavirus pandemic , some have already begun to restrict their exports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it is monitoring the risk of any potential drug shortages .
It has not released a list of drugs that may be vulnerable .
Last week , the FDA urged medical providers to take certain precautions in order to avoid shortages of health-care products .
It urged hospitals to consider the use of reusable gowns instead of disposable ones .
It also said that , in the event of a shortage , health-care providers should consider using surgical masks beyond their shelf life in lower-risk situations , like outside of surgery .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ working with the private sector to address more near-term shortage risks .
Absolut Vodka-owner Pernod Ricard is converting its converting manufacturing facilities in Kentucky , West Virginia and Texas to make hand sanitizer .

One of President Donald Trump's leading trade advisors slammed Big Pharma's attempts to lobby against an executive order he is preparing to push companies to relocate medical supply chains to the United States.
When asked about the push by lobbying group PhRMA against the executive order, Peter Navvaro told CNBC, "This Big Pharma spin is simply a desperate attempt to stop President Donald J. Trump from moving the production of our essential medicines and medical equipment and supplies to the U.S."
Navarro, known for his hawkish views on China, told CNBC earlier this week that he is bringing an executive order to Trump that would aim to reduce United States dependency on foreign manufacturers for medicine. About 72% of pharmaceutical ingredient manufacturers supplying the U.S. are located overseas, including 13% in China, according to October congressional testimony by Janet Woodcock, director of the Food and Drug Administration's Center for Drug Evaluation and Research.
The executive order Navarro is planning will streamline regulatory approvals for "American-made" products and look to impose similar FDA restrictions on U.S. facilities as those abroad. It will also encourage the U.S. government, including the Department of Defense, Department of Health and Human Services and Department of Veterans Affairs, to only buy American-made medical products.
PhRMA has rolled out a heavy lobbying push in return, according to people familiar with the industry's thinking and a document seen by CNBC.
The trade group – which represents companies including Bristol-Myers Squibb , Pfizer , Johnson & Johnson and Sanofi – contends that too much manufacturing in the U.S. makes it as vulnerable to disruption in the event of a crisis.
"Our focus is on making sure we can develop new treatments and cures and that American patients have access to them. This executive order could threaten that. In times of crisis, a diverse supply chain is more important than ever," a spokesperson for the group said.
Navarro pushed back against that claim, saying the executive order will have full exemptions for crises like the coronavirus pandemic.
"The global Big Pharma lobby which has moved all of our production offshore is now lying about an executive order they haven't read and which explicitly exempts Buy American provisions during the current China virus crisis and any period of national emergency," he said. "Nothing in the order will prevent us from getting what we need, when we need it, and from wherever we need it."
"The first rule of the order is 'do no harm,'" Navarro said. "The second rule is to bring our pharma supply chains home over time," he added.
Navarro also dismissed the group's argument that "Buy America" mandates for biopharmaceuticals could be viewed as retaliatory and effectively interpreted as a trade war. The group is worried that trade partners could respond to the executive order by imposing export restrictions or other means of punishment, a person familiar with the industry's thinking told CNBC. The U.S. is particularly vulnerable to such moves as the world battles a health crisis.
"The movement of supply chains and production and essential medicines to the U.S. is not just a matter of public health and economic security, it's a matter of national defense," Navarro said.
Navarro is part of a broader chorus that have pointed to the coronavirus pandemic to highlight what he and others view as U.S. vulnerability, due to its dependence on foreign manufacturing.
The industry has long relied on less-expensive overseas manufacturing as a way to keep costs down. It has often pushed back on pressure to bring manufacturing back to the U.S. by noting that the complexities of the supply chain make it difficult to reconfigure.
But as countries around the world battle the coronavirus pandemic, some have already begun to restrict their exports.
The Food and Drug Administration has said it is monitoring the risk of any potential drug shortages. It has not released a list of drugs that may be vulnerable.
Last week, the FDA urged medical providers to take certain precautions in order to avoid shortages of health-care products. It urged hospitals to consider the use of reusable gowns instead of disposable ones. It also said that, in the event of a shortage, health-care providers should consider using surgical masks beyond their shelf life in lower-risk situations, like outside of surgery.
Navarro said that the U.S. government is working with the private sector to address more near-term shortage risks. Absolut Vodka-owner Pernod Ricard is converting its converting manufacturing facilities in Kentucky, West Virginia and Texas to make hand sanitizer.


cnbc--2020-03-19--Trump campaign, RNC suspend in-person fundraising events as coronavirus spreads

U.S. President Donald Trump walks toward Marine One prior to his departure for a campaign event in Battle Creek , Michigan , December 18 , 2019 at the White House in Washington , DC .
President Donald Trump 's campaign and the Republican National Committee are suspending in-person fundraising events and will raise money through a digital platform as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the 2020 election .
Trump 's campaign and the RNC have signaled to their allies that in-person events will no longer take place as the coronavirus has now spread to all 50 states and Washington @ @ @ @ @ @ @ direct knowledge of the matter , who declined to be named because these decisions were made in private .
The Trump campaign confirmed the development .
`` President Trump and the RNC have the strongest fundraising operation in presidential history and our unmatched data and digital operation make us uniquely equipped to sustain a digital fundraising operation .
As it is , we are in an incredibly strong position , '' said Tim Murtaugh , a spokesman for the Trump campaign .
`` While we are temporarily suspending in-person fundraising events , we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from Americans who fully support President Trump , his accomplishments , and his leadership . ''
Murtaugh confirmed organization plans to hold virtual fundraising events instead .
The decision follows a similar one from the president 's likely rival , former Vice President Joe Biden , who has been trying to host virtual town halls and fundraisers himself , although some have had technical difficulties and others have been postponed .
Mandi Merritt , a spokeswoman for the RNC , said the committee will also be turning to direct mail as a way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We have a variety of tools that allow us to continue to succeed even without holding in person events .
We have invested in robust digital and direct mail platforms that allow us to engage with voters and talk to our supporters about the issues they care most about , '' she said .
`` Those tools will continue to produce strong responses . ''
She also noted that the RNC has `` incredible reserves '' when it comes to financial resources , and that `` even during this month dominated by self-quarantines @ @ @ @ @ @ @ very strong numbers . ''
The campaign had previously said they were going to use their digital tools to connect with voters but that announcement did not include how they were going to handle fundraising .
`` Efforts will include holding virtual events with top surrogates , utilizing online platforms to train thousands of members of the Trump Neighborhood Team , activating the massive volunteer network to make calls to rally support for the President in states voting soon , and increasing online voter registration efforts of Trump rally attendees identified as not @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign and the RNC said on March 13 .
The move could have an impact on Trump 's fundraising success , although they do have a strong digital fundraising operation already in place .
Trump 's big money events , often arranged by the joint fundraising committee , Trump Victory , usually ask for high six figure contributions for donors to gain access .
The committee helps raise cash both for the RNC and Trump campaign .
Just last week , Trump took part in a Trump Victory fundraiser at the home of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gain access to the roundtable discussion and get a photo taken with the president , the committee asked for a donation of $ 100,000 per couple .
The event was expected to raise millions of dollars .
Trump , the RNC and their joint fundraising committees combined to raise over $ 86 million in the month of February and have over $ 225 million on hand .
That same weekend , the president spoke to donors at his resort at Mar-a-Lago during an RNC retreat and the administration coronavirus response was brought up @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration had everything under control .
A separate Trump Victory event took place at Mar-a-Lago that same weekend and the committee later told attendees that someone who took part tested positive for COVID-19 .
Trump and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel have both said they were tested but were negative for the coronavirus .

President Donald Trump's campaign and the Republican National Committee are suspending in-person fundraising events and will raise money through a digital platform as the coronavirus pandemic continues to impact the 2020 election.
Trump's campaign and the RNC have signaled to their allies that in-person events will no longer take place as the coronavirus has now spread to all 50 states and Washington, D.C., according to people with direct knowledge of the matter, who declined to be named because these decisions were made in private.
The Trump campaign confirmed the development.
"President Trump and the RNC have the strongest fundraising operation in presidential history and our unmatched data and digital operation make us uniquely equipped to sustain a digital fundraising operation. As it is, we are in an incredibly strong position," said Tim Murtaugh, a spokesman for the Trump campaign. "While we are temporarily suspending in-person fundraising events, we will still be able to gather support from Americans who fully support President Trump, his accomplishments, and his leadership."
Murtaugh confirmed organization plans to hold virtual fundraising events instead. The decision follows a similar one from the president's likely rival, former Vice President Joe Biden, who has been trying to host virtual town halls and fundraisers himself, although some have had technical difficulties and others have been postponed.
Mandi Merritt, a spokeswoman for the RNC, said the committee will also be turning to direct mail as a way to stay connected with donors.
"We have a variety of tools that allow us to continue to succeed even without holding in person events. We have invested in robust digital and direct mail platforms that allow us to engage with voters and talk to our supporters about the issues they care most about," she said. "Those tools will continue to produce strong responses."
She also noted that the RNC has "incredible reserves" when it comes to financial resources, and that "even during this month dominated by self-quarantines and social distancing we expect to post very strong numbers."
The campaign had previously said they were going to use their digital tools to connect with voters but that announcement did not include how they were going to handle fundraising.
"Efforts will include holding virtual events with top surrogates, utilizing online platforms to train thousands of members of the Trump Neighborhood Team, activating the massive volunteer network to make calls to rally support for the President in states voting soon, and increasing online voter registration efforts of Trump rally attendees identified as not currently registered to vote," the campaign and the RNC said on March 13.
The move could have an impact on Trump's fundraising success, although they do have a strong digital fundraising operation already in place. Trump's big money events, often arranged by the joint fundraising committee, Trump Victory, usually ask for high six figure contributions for donors to gain access. The committee helps raise cash both for the RNC and Trump campaign.
Just last week, Trump took part in a Trump Victory fundraiser at the home of Florida businessman Bob Dello Russo. To gain access to the roundtable discussion and get a photo taken with the president, the committee asked for a donation of $100,000 per couple. The event was expected to raise millions of dollars.
Trump, the RNC and their joint fundraising committees combined to raise over $86 million in the month of February and have over $225 million on hand.
That same weekend, the president spoke to donors at his resort at Mar-a-Lago during an RNC retreat and the administration coronavirus response was brought up. He reassured the financiers that the administration had everything under control. A separate Trump Victory event took place at Mar-a-Lago that same weekend and the committee later told attendees that someone who took part tested positive for COVID-19.
Trump and RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel have both said they were tested but were negative for the coronavirus.


cnbc--2020-03-19--US-Mexico border restrictions expected as coronavirus spreads, report says

View of San Ysidro port of entry as few cars enter the US from Tijuana , Baja California state , Mexico , on March 19 , 2020 .
The United States is expected to announce restrictions on travel across the border with Mexico as part of the effort to stem the tide of the coronavirus pandemic , according to a new report Thursday .
The restrictions are expected to be revealed Friday , according to the report by the Reuters news agency , which cited two officials familiar with the matter .
Those sources said that the restrictions on the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agreement with Canada that was announced Wednesday by President Donald Trump .
Trump and and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that day said they were temporarily closing their nations ' border — the longest in the world — to non-essential traffic .
On Tuesday , the member countries of the European Union agreed to close their external borders to non-citizens in most cases for one month .
There have been more than 236,000 cases of coronvirus reported worldwide , with at least 9,790 deaths .
In the United States alone , there have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and at least 157 related deaths .
Mexico has 118 confirmed cases , and 1 reported death , according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine , which has been tracking the spread of coronavirus , and the related disease of COVID-19 .

View of San Ysidro port of entry as few cars enter the US from Tijuana, Baja California state, Mexico, on March 19, 2020.
The United States is expected to announce restrictions on travel across the border with Mexico as part of the effort to stem the tide of the coronavirus pandemic, a source familiar with the plan told NBC News.
The restrictions are expected to be revealed Friday, according to a report first published by the Reuters news agency, which cited two officials familiar with the matter.
The source said that the restrictions on the U.S.-Mexico border would be similar to the agreement with Canada that was announced Wednesday by President Donald Trump.
Trump and and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau that day said they were temporarily closing their nations' border — the longest in the world — to non-essential traffic.
On Tuesday, the member countries of the European Union agreed to close their external borders to non-citizens in most cases for one month.
There have been more than 236,000 cases of coronvirus reported worldwide, with at least 9,790 deaths.
In the United States alone, there have been at least 11,238 coronavirus cases, and at least 157 related deaths.
Mexico has 118 confirmed cases, and 1 reported death, according to Johns Hopkins University of Medicine, which has been tracking the spread of coronavirus, and the related disease of COVID-19.