cnbc--2020-05-04--Trump says he believes there will be a coronavirus vaccine 'by the end of the year'

President Trump participates in a live May 3 Fox News Channel virtual town hall called `` America Together : Returning to Work '' about response to the coronavirus pandemic , broadcast from inside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington , D.C. President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was confident that there will be a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year , a timeline that 's even speedier than the optimistic projections laid out by his administration 's public health advisors .
`` We are very confident that we are going to have a vaccine at the end @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the year , '' Trump said .
`` We think we are going to have a vaccine by the end of this year , and we are pushing very hard . ''
The comments came during a Fox News town hall at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington .
Public health officials have said a coronavirus vaccine could take a year to 18 months .
Vaccines often take many years to develop and distribute .
`` We are pushing supply lines .
We do n't even have the final vaccine , '' Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are , I think , close , '' citing pharmaceutical maker Johnson & Johnson by name .
Johnson & Johnson , which has partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services to manufacture a vaccine , has said it is hoping to get approval for one in early 2021 .
Researchers at Oxford University working on vaccine development have said that theirs , if it proves effective , could be widely distributed by September .
The World Health Organization has said there are currently dozens of coronavirus vaccines in development .
Dr. @ @ @ @ @ @ @ National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases , has said a vaccine could take 18 months to develop , though he noted in a CBS News interview last month that it was possible `` to shave a couple of months off that . ''
`` But , you know , you do n't want to over-promise .
We 'll just have to see how it goes , '' Fauci told CBS .
Trump has seen his path to reelection in November grow steeper as the economic toll from the spreading coronavirus continues to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ start of the coronavirus pandemic have already wiped out all of the gains made during the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis .
Economists have warned that business is unlikely to return until consumers are confident that they can safely return to their pre-Covid-19 routines , which would likely require a vaccine or effective treatment for the flu-like contagion to be widely available .
Trump , who in January said he had coronavirus `` totally under control , '' has in recent weeks acknowledged the scope of the crisis .
Bloomberg News reported @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Operation Warp Speed '' is seeking to rapidly cut down the time it takes to develop a vaccine .
The project has a goal of having 300 million doses of a vaccine ready by January , in part by pooling private and government resources , including the military , the outlet reported .
There is no precedent for such an effort .
Covid-19 has spread to more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. and killed more than 65,000 , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
The U.S. suffered its deadliest @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , according to WHO , with nearly 3,000 dead in 24 hours .
Trump said on Sunday that his forecast for the number of Americans who will die from the disease has increased .
`` I used to say 65,000 and now I 'm saying 80 or 90 , and it goes up , it goes up rapidly , '' Trump said .
He said that even at the upper end of his projections , millions of people will be saved by government measures , compared to the outcome that would have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

President Trump participates in a live May 3 Fox News Channel virtual town hall called "America Together: Returning to Work" about response to the coronavirus pandemic, broadcast from inside the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C.
President Donald Trump said on Sunday that he was confident that there will be a coronavirus vaccine by the end of the year, a timeline that's even speedier than the optimistic projections laid out by his administration's public health advisors.
"We are very confident that we are going to have a vaccine at the end of the year, by the end of the year," Trump said. "We think we are going to have a vaccine by the end of this year, and we are pushing very hard."
The comments came during a Fox News town hall at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. Public health officials have said a coronavirus vaccine could take a year to 18 months. Vaccines often take many years to develop and distribute.
"We are pushing supply lines. We don't even have the final vaccine," Trump said. He said "many companies are, I think, close," citing pharmaceutical maker Johnson & Johnson by name.
Johnson & Johnson, which has partnered with the Department of Health and Human Services to manufacture a vaccine, has said it is hoping to get approval for one in early 2021.
Researchers at Oxford University working on vaccine development have said that theirs, if it proves effective, could be widely distributed by September.
The World Health Organization has said there are currently dozens of coronavirus vaccines in development.
Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, has said a vaccine could take 18 months to develop, though he noted in a CBS News interview last month that it was possible "to shave a couple of months off that."
"But, you know, you don't want to over-promise. We'll just have to see how it goes," Fauci told CBS.
Trump has seen his path to reelection in November grow steeper as the economic toll from the spreading coronavirus continues to mount. U.S. job losses since the start of the coronavirus pandemic have already wiped out all of the gains made during the recovery from the 2008 financial crisis.
Economists have warned that business is unlikely to return until consumers are confident that they can safely return to their pre-Covid-19 routines, which would likely require a vaccine or effective treatment for the flu-like contagion to be widely available.
Trump, who in January said he had coronavirus "totally under control," has in recent weeks acknowledged the scope of the crisis. Bloomberg News reported last month that the administration's "Operation Warp Speed" is seeking to rapidly cut down the time it takes to develop a vaccine.
The project has a goal of having 300 million doses of a vaccine ready by January, in part by pooling private and government resources, including the military, the outlet reported. There is no precedent for such an effort.
Covid-19 has spread to more than 1.1 million people in the U.S. and killed more than 65,000, according to data from Johns Hopkins University. The U.S. suffered its deadliest day since the outbreak began last week, according to WHO, with nearly 3,000 dead in 24 hours.
Trump said on Sunday that his forecast for the number of Americans who will die from the disease has increased.
"I used to say 65,000 and now I'm saying 80 or 90, and it goes up, it goes up rapidly," Trump said. He said that even at the upper end of his projections, millions of people will be saved by government measures, compared to the outcome that would have been had the public carried on like normal.


cnbc--2020-05-03--Cuomo calls PPE shortages a national security issue: 'You can't be dependent on China'

New York will require all hospitals to build a 90-day supply of personal protective equipment to prepare for another outbreak after states dealt with widespread equipment shortages while battling the coronavirus , New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday .
Cuomo said efforts to procure masks from China amid state competition for medical supplies were `` inefficient and ineffective '' and warned against dependence on China for basic equipment .
`` That we have to go to China for the PPE ?
I mean think about that — you could n't even get it in this nation , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` We started making our own in this state . ''
`` That 's a national security issue to me , '' Cuomo said .
`` You have to be able to get masks and gowns and whatever medical equipment you need so this nation can run a health-care system in the middle of an emergency . ''
`` You ca n't be dependent on China to have the basic equipment to save lives in the United States , that 's what this came down to , '' the governor said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Massachusetts and New York had to rely on New England Patriots owner and billionaire businessman Robert Kraft to send a private plane to China to help procure masks .
`` That 's how we handle a global pandemic ?
I have to call Mr. Kraft and say can you do me a favor Gov .
Baker , as long as the plane is going can you pick up masks for me ? ''
Cuomo asked rhetorically .
In response , New York is a launching a regional buying consortium with six Northeast states @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and other medical equipment to reduce competition among states and lower prices .
`` We put together a de facto public health system , '' the governor said .
`` We ca n't go through this day to day in this mad scramble to move masks to where they were needed . ''

New York will require all hospitals to build a 90-day supply of personal protective equipment to prepare for another outbreak after states dealt with widespread equipment shortages while battling the coronavirus, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Sunday.
Cuomo said efforts to procure masks from China amid state competition for medical supplies were "inefficient and ineffective" and warned against dependence on China for basic equipment.
"That we have to go to China for the PPE? I mean think about that — you couldn't even get it in this nation," Cuomo said at a press briefing. "We started making our own in this state."
"That's a national security issue to me," Cuomo said. "You have to be able to get masks and gowns and whatever medical equipment you need so this nation can run a health-care system in the middle of an emergency."
"You can't be dependent on China to have the basic equipment to save lives in the United States, that's what this came down to," the governor said.
Cuomo expressed frustration that the states of Massachusetts and New York had to rely on New England Patriots owner and billionaire businessman Robert Kraft to send a private plane to China to help procure masks.
"That's how we handle a global pandemic? I have to call Mr. Kraft and say can you do me a favor Gov. Baker, as long as the plane is going can you pick up masks for me?" Cuomo asked rhetorically.
In response, New York is a launching a regional buying consortium with six Northeast states to procure PPE, tests, ventilators and other medical equipment to reduce competition among states and lower prices.
"We put together a de facto public health system," the governor said. "We can't go through this day to day in this mad scramble to move masks to where they were needed."


cnbc--2020-05-04--Op-ed: China has a big but brief chance right now to speed its way to global leadership

The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed more clearly than ever before the nature and relentlessness of the ruling Chinese Communist Party 's ambition to place itself at the center of global power and influence .
What once was an opaque policy , articulated by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping , of `` hide your strength , bide your time , '' has now morphed into the transparent , if still unstated , approach by President Xi Jinping of `` seizing the Covid-19 moment '' – before it closes .
The virus first appeared to be a dramatic setback for China , given @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and epicenter in January and February .
With China 's likely emergence now as the first major world economy to end lockdowns and regain growth , Covid-19 now offers a once-in-a-century chance to accelerate the geopolitical shift in Beijing 's favor through 2020 and far beyond .
That said , Chinese leaders are moving at a pace that reveals not only their ambitions but also their apprehensions that this historic moment could close as quickly as it opened .
`` The party 's leaders believe they have a narrow window of strategic opportunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ international order in their favor , '' writes Lt. Gen .
( ret . )
H.R .
McMaster , President Donald Trump 's former national security adviser , in his just-released book `` Battlegrounds : The Fight to Defend the Free World . ''
He sees the party leadership moving at warp speed to `` co-opt , coerce and conceal '' at home and abroad `` before China 's economy sours , before the population grows old , before other countries realize that the party is pursing national rejuvenation at their expense , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ coronavirus pandemic expose '' their vulnerabilities .
At the same time , Beijing is wrestling with the new burdens of global leadership : demands from debtor nations for relief , from developing nations for accountability , from Covid-19 victims for reparations and from the global human rights campaigners for less repression and more transparency .
Here are just four fronts in this unfolding drama : The Financial Times reported Friday that Beijing `` has received a wave of applications for debt relief from crisis-hit countries included in the 'Belt and Road Initiative ' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ grow as the virus ' full force bears down on emerging markets .
Of the 138 countries signed up to BRI , the vast majority are developing countries , many with dodgy credit ratings that are now growing worse .
What 's positive is that China signed on to a G20 agreement last month to freeze bilateral loan repayments for poorer countries until year 's end .
Yet Chinese leaders remain far from forgiving principle or interest .
As the G20 's crucial July meeting in Jeddah approaches , more should be expected @ @ @ @ @ @ @ morally and financially should be at the center of global fiscal stimulus and debt relief efforts .
2 .
U.S. tensions and calls for accountability This week 's market-moving story that U.S. officials are exploring punitive measures against China over Covid-19 is likely just the beginning of demands that Beijing should adhere to the Spiderman admonition that `` with great power comes great responsibility . ''
The notion may seem far-fetched – or even counterproductive to U.S. interests – that the White House and Congress might act to remove China 's sovereign immunity @ @ @ @ @ @ @ courts for damages .
Whatever happens on that front , Beijing can expect increasing calls from the U.S. and beyond to investigate more thoroughly the origins and response to Covid-19 , if only to avoid a repeat performance .
This week 's Europe-Chinese controversy was triggered by a leak to Politico Europe about an apparent decision by the European External Action Service , under pressure from Beijing , to remove references from a report on China 's `` global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak of the pandemic and improve its @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the de facto European foreign minister , insisted , `` We have not bowed to anyone , '' but he then added , `` It 's clear and evident that China expressed their concerns when they knew the document was leaked…I 'm not going to reveal how it was done because we do n't explain this kind of diplomacy . ''
No stage is more significant than Europe to track China 's diplomatic offensive in providing Covid-19 assistance , to follow its growing investments in Europe , and to measure Europe 's growing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ inroads .
That said , Europeans are weighing new doubts about Chinese intentions against growing perceptions over the United States ' diminished European commitment .
With the world distracted by Covid-19 , watch China 's expected release later this year of `` Chinese Standards 2035 . ''
Beijing 's intention is nothing short of setting the global norms for emerging technologies over decades to come .
`` China Standards 2035 is to focus on setting standards in emerging industries , '' write Emily de La Bruyere and Nathan Picarsic in TechCrunch .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ manufacturing , new materials , the industrial internet , cyber security , new energy , the ecological industry .
… Having secured its foothold in targeted physical spheres , Beijing is ready to set their rules . ''
What this approach underscores is how China 's approach to global leadership differs from that of the United States .
While Washington typically tries to lead others from atop the international community , China 's aspiration is to `` move closer to the center of the world stage , '' in the words of President @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in recent weeks is that China is acting to shape the Covid-19 period and its aftermath with considerable focus and planning .
At the same time , the U.S. response to China has been inconsistent , lacking in long-term strategy and close coordination with allies .
A future column will deal with what democratic countries could do to confront this challenge together .
The first step , however , is to understand China 's recognition of this historic opportunity and what it is doing to seize the moment .
Frederick Kempe is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ & CEO of the Atlantic Council , one of the United States ' most influential think tanks on global affairs .
He worked at The Wall Street Journal for more than 25 years as a foreign correspondent , assistant managing editor and as the longest-serving editor of the paper 's European edition .
His latest book – `` Berlin 1961 : Kennedy , Khrushchev , and the Most Dangerous Place on Earth '' – was a New York Times best-seller and has been published in more than a dozen languages .
Follow him @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to Inflection Points , his look each Saturday at the past week 's top stories and trends .
For more insight from CNBC contributors , follow @ CNBCopinion on Twitter .

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, talks with experts during his visit to the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University in Beijing, capital of China, March 2, 2020. Yan Yan | Xinhua News Agency | Getty Images
The Covid-19 pandemic has revealed more clearly than ever before the nature and relentlessness of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's ambition to place itself at the center of global power and influence. What once was an opaque policy, articulated by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping, of "hide your strength, bide your time," has now morphed into the transparent, if still unstated, approach by President Xi Jinping of "seizing the Covid-19 moment" – before it closes. The virus first appeared to be a dramatic setback for China, given its role as the pathogen's source and epicenter in January and February. With China's likely emergence now as the first major world economy to end lockdowns and regain growth, Covid-19 now offers a once-in-a-century chance to accelerate the geopolitical shift in Beijing's favor through 2020 and far beyond. That said, Chinese leaders are moving at a pace that reveals not only their ambitions but also their apprehensions that this historic moment could close as quickly as it opened.
Military medics salute to the Huoshenshan Hospital in Wuhan, central China's Hubei Province, April 15, 2020. Xinhua News Agency
"The party's leaders believe they have a narrow window of strategic opportunity to strengthen their rule and revise the international order in their favor," writes Lt. Gen. (ret.) H.R. McMaster, President Donald Trump's former national security adviser, in his just-released book "Battlegrounds: The Fight to Defend the Free World." He sees the party leadership moving at warp speed to "co-opt, coerce and conceal" at home and abroad "before China's economy sours, before the population grows old, before other countries realize that the party is pursing national rejuvenation at their expense, and before unanticipated events such as the coronavirus pandemic expose" their vulnerabilities. At the same time, Beijing is wrestling with the new burdens of global leadership: demands from debtor nations for relief, from developing nations for accountability, from Covid-19 victims for reparations and from the global human rights campaigners for less repression and more transparency. Here are just four fronts in this unfolding drama:
1. Calls for debt relief
The Financial Times reported Friday that Beijing "has received a wave of applications for debt relief from crisis-hit countries included in the 'Belt and Road Initiative' (BRI)." These will grow as the virus' full force bears down on emerging markets. Of the 138 countries signed up to BRI, the vast majority are developing countries, many with dodgy credit ratings that are now growing worse. What's positive is that China signed on to a G20 agreement last month to freeze bilateral loan repayments for poorer countries until year's end. Yet Chinese leaders remain far from forgiving principle or interest. As the G20's crucial July meeting in Jeddah approaches, more should be expected of China as the country that both morally and financially should be at the center of global fiscal stimulus and debt relief efforts.
2. U.S. tensions and calls for accountability
This week's market-moving story that U.S. officials are exploring punitive measures against China over Covid-19 is likely just the beginning of demands that Beijing should adhere to the Spiderman admonition that "with great power comes great responsibility." The notion may seem far-fetched – or even counterproductive to U.S. interests – that the White House and Congress might act to remove China's sovereign immunity so Beijing can be sued in U.S. courts for damages. Whatever happens on that front, Beijing can expect increasing calls from the U.S. and beyond to investigate more thoroughly the origins and response to Covid-19, if only to avoid a repeat performance.
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaks at the U.S. State Department Win McNamee | Getty Images
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo's broadside this week on China for "classic Communist disinformation" on Covid-19 should be read alongside the drumbeat of increased, detailed reporting on what Wired Magazine – in its own rich, investigative report – called China's "coronavirus coverup."
3. China's play for Europe
This week's Europe-Chinese controversy was triggered by a leak to Politico Europe about an apparent decision by the European External Action Service, under pressure from Beijing, to remove references from a report on China's "global disinformation campaign to deflect blame for the outbreak of the pandemic and improve its international image." Josep Borrell, the de facto European foreign minister, insisted, "We have not bowed to anyone," but he then added, "It's clear and evident that China expressed their concerns when they knew the document was leaked…I'm not going to reveal how it was done because we don't explain this kind of diplomacy." No stage is more significant than Europe to track China's diplomatic offensive in providing Covid-19 assistance, to follow its growing investments in Europe, and to measure Europe's growing discomfort with Beijing's bullying and tech inroads. That said, Europeans are weighing new doubts about Chinese intentions against growing perceptions over the United States' diminished European commitment.
4. China's new global tech standards


cnbc--2020-05-04--Listen live: Supreme Court broadcasts oral arguments for first time ever

The Supreme Court will broadcast an oral argument live on Monday for the first time in its 230-year history .
Monday 's case is a fight over whether Booking.com can trademark its name .
The format of the arguments , which will be conducted over the phone , has proven even more controversial .
For years , activists and lawmakers have pushed unsuccessfully for the court to stream its arguments live to the public .
Those efforts failed , but the spreading coronavirus finally persuaded the justices to make a change .
With the Covid-19 crisis forcing the court to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a live audio broadcast for 10 arguments , all via teleconference , in the first two weeks of May .
Monday 's case is a relatively low-profile dispute between Booking.com and the United States Patent and Trademark Office over whether Booking.com can get a trademark for its name .
Even so , the live broadcast is expected to bring the Supreme Court to a much wider audience than the court has ever had before .
The Supreme Court 's historic building has just 50 seats set aside for the public , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who show up hours before arguments begin are turned away .
The scarcity of the seats has spawned a secretive , informal economy of paid line-standers .
Subsequent cases are likely to get more attention .
On Wednesday , the court will hear arguments over whether the Trump administration can allow businesses and universities to block their employees from receiving insurance coverage for contraception .
Read more : Can you argue in pajamas ?
Lawyers get ready for first-ever Supreme Court oral arguments by phone Next week , the court will hear arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ records , including tax returns , from state and congressional investigators , and two cases over whether Electoral College voters can buck the will of their state , a dispute with the potential to affect the outcome of November 's presidential contest .
The financial records cases will be argued May 12 , with the Electoral College cases coming the next day .
It is expected that decisions in all of the cases will be delivered by the end of June , though it is possible that they could come later .
Arguments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ United States Patent and Trademark Office v. Booking.com , will begin at 10 a.m. and last one hour .
Erica Ross , a Justice Department attorney , will face off against veteran Supreme Court attorney Lisa Blatt , who is representing Booking.com .
Each attorney will have half an hour to speak , including rebuttals .
While the justices typically ask questions in whichever order they please , the virtual oral arguments will be done differently .
Chief Justice John Roberts will ask questions first , followed by the rest of the justices @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will argue that Booking.com is not entitled to trademark its name because the word `` booking '' is generic , and adding `` .com '' is not enough to make it distinctive .
The Supreme Court held in the 1985 case known as Park N ' Fly that companies can not receive trademarks for generic terms because that could confuse consumers .
For instance , a company selling oranges can not trademark the word `` orange . ''
In an 1888 case known as Goodyear , the court held that adding the word @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to a generic name does not make it eligible for a trademark .
The government has argued that the same reasoning should apply to `` .com . ''
On the other side , Booking.com has argued that Congress effectively did away with the Goodyear decision in 1946 when it passed a landmark bill known as the Lanham Act .
Under that law , Booking.com argues that its name can be trademarked because its `` primary significance '' to consumers is as a brand .
In court papers , the company said a survey @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Booking.com as a brand name , rather than as a generic term .
Booking.com won its case before a federal district court and that decision was affirmed by the Richmond , Virginia-based 4th U.S .
Circuit Court of Appeals .
But Jennifer Lee Taylor , a partner at the law firm Morrison & Foerster who specializes in trademark law , said that she expected the Supreme Court to side with the government .
Unlike patent laws , trademark laws are designed exclusively to protect consumers , not businesses , she said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ type of generic name she has been advising clients to stay away from for years .
`` The fact that Booking.com has spent hundreds of millions of dollars does not mean it has a protectable investment , '' Taylor said .
`` Is there any benefit to consumers if Booking.com is able to register its mark and able to stop people from using CarBooking.com or HotelBooking.com ? ''
Taylor asked .
`` Is that really going to benefit consumers ?
Or maybe it 's going to be worse for consumers because they are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ competitors of Booking.com . ''

The Supreme Court will broadcast an oral argument live on Monday for the first time in its 230-year history. Monday's case is a fight over whether Booking.com can trademark its name. The format of the arguments, which will be conducted over the phone, has proven even more controversial. For years, activists and lawmakers have pushed unsuccessfully for the court to stream its arguments live to the public. Those efforts failed, but the spreading coronavirus finally persuaded the justices to make a change. With the Covid-19 crisis forcing the court to shut its doors, the justices agreed to a live audio broadcast for 10 arguments, all via teleconference, in the first two weeks of May.
In this illustration photo, Chief Justice John Roberts speaks during oral arguments before the Supreme Court in the case U.S. Patent and Trademark Office v. Booking.com as it is live streamed on a laptop, May 4, 2020 Washington, DC. Drew Angerer | Getty Images
Monday's case is a relatively low-profile dispute between Booking.com and the United States Patent and Trademark Office over whether Booking.com can get a trademark for its name. Even so, the live broadcast is expected to bring the Supreme Court to a much wider audience than the court has ever had before. The Supreme Court's historic building has just 50 seats set aside for the public, and on traditional argument days many of those who show up hours before arguments begin are turned away. The scarcity of the seats has spawned a secretive, informal economy of paid line-standers. Subsequent cases are likely to get more attention. On Wednesday, the court will hear arguments over whether the Trump administration can allow businesses and universities to block their employees from receiving insurance coverage for contraception. Read more: Can you argue in pajamas? Lawyers get ready for first-ever Supreme Court oral arguments by phone Next week, the court will hear arguments over whether Trump may shield his financial records, including tax returns, from state and congressional investigators, and two cases over whether Electoral College voters can buck the will of their state, a dispute with the potential to affect the outcome of November's presidential contest. The financial records cases will be argued May 12, with the Electoral College cases coming the next day. It is expected that decisions in all of the cases will be delivered by the end of June, though it is possible that they could come later.
A listener's guide to Monday's case
A man looks at the website of Booking.com Yuriko Nakao | Getty Images


cnbc--2020-05-05--Trump says 'there'll be more death' from coronavirus, but reopening is worth it

WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged that reopening parts of the nation 's economy now , against the advice of many health experts , would inevitably cost some Americans their lives .
But he argued that the benefits outweighed the costs .
`` It 's possible there will be some [ deaths ] because you wo n't be locked into an apartment or house or whatever it is , '' Trump told ABC 's David Muir in a rare network news interview .
`` But at the same time , we 're going to practice social distancing , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , we 're going to be doing a lot of the things that we 've learned to do over the last period of time . ''
As of Tuesday , U.S. deaths had climbed above 70,000 , with total cases at 1.2 million .
`` There 'll be more death , that the virus will pass , with or without a vaccine .
And I think we 're doing very well on the vaccines but , with or without a vaccine , it 's going to pass , and we 're going to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
There is no evidence so far that , in the absence of a vaccine , the virus `` will pass '' in a way that allows the country to return to a pre-coronavirus `` normal . ''
In fact , it 's the opposite .
Trump 's own top scientists say they believe the virus will come back in the fall and may even prove to come back every season like the flu .
But the president argued that not reopening businesses also costs people their lives , in the form @ @ @ @ @ @ @ People are dying the other way , too . ''
said Trump .
`` When you look at what 's happened with drugs , it goes up .
When you look at suicides , I mean , take a look at what 's going on .
People are losing their jobs .
We have to bring it back and that 's what we 're doing . ''
There is currently no documented epidemic of suicide , although experts say it 's likely that a mental health crisis is looming .
Trump made the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honeywell factory in Arizona , which is producing N95 respirator masks .
It was the president 's first trip outside of the Washington area since the pandemic took hold nearly two months ago .
`` The people of our country are warriors , '' Trump said during a roundtable earlier in the day .
`` I 'm not saying anything is perfect .
Yes , will some people be affected ?
Yes .
Will some people be affected badly ?
Yes .
But we have to get our country opened and we have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Trump also said his own expectations for the mortality rate were rising .
`` I always felt 60 , 65 , 70 , as horrible as that is .
I mean , you 're talking about filling up Yankee Stadium with death !
So I thought it was horrible .
But it 's probably going to be somewhat higher than that , '' he said to Muir .
Trump 's acknowledgement that reopening the country would likely cost lives represents a shifting White House calculus about risk and reward , given the economic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in most states has caused over the past month .
Since mid-March , more than 30 million Americans have filed claims for unemployment .
Meanwhile , the $ 1,200 temporary relief checks that Congress approved for more than 100 million Americans were not designed to provide long-term solutions , just a short-term bridge until the country reopened .
Now , after a month during which the country has been in virtual lockdown , new coronavirus cases appear to have leveled off in some areas , but they have n't plummeted the same way @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` While mitigation did n't fail , I think it 's fair to say that it did n't work as well as we expected , '' former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a televised interview last Sunday .
`` We expected that we would start seeing more significant declines in new cases and deaths around the nation at this point , and we 're just not seeing that . ''
`` We may be facing the prospect that 20,000 , 30,000 new cases a day diagnosed becomes a new normal and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new normal as well , '' Gottlieb said .
He also noted that the numbers of new cases are still rising in more than a dozen states , even as other states begin reopening .

"There'll be more death, that the virus will pass, with or without a vaccine. And I think we're doing very well on the vaccines but, with or without a vaccine, it's going to pass, and we're going to be back to normal," Trump said.
"It's possible there will be some [deaths] because you won't be locked into an apartment or house or whatever it is," Trump told ABC's David Muir in a rare network news interview . "But at the same time, we're going to practice social distancing, we're going to be washing hands, we're going to be doing a lot of the things that we've learned to do over the last period of time."
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged that reopening parts of the nation's economy now, against the advice of many health experts, would inevitably cost some Americans their lives. But he argued that the benefits outweighed the costs.
There is no evidence so far that, in the absence of a vaccine, the virus "will pass" in a way that allows the country to return to a pre-coronavirus "normal." In fact, it's the opposite. Trump's own top scientists say they believe the virus will come back in the fall and may even prove to come back every season like the flu.
But the president argued that not reopening businesses also costs people their lives, in the form of drug overdoses and suicides.
"People are dying the other way, too." said Trump. "When you look at what's happened with drugs, it goes up. When you look at suicides, I mean, take a look at what's going on. People are losing their jobs. We have to bring it back and that's what we're doing."
There is currently no documented epidemic of suicide, although experts say it's likely that a mental health crisis is looming.
Trump made the remarks Tuesday during a visit to a Honeywell factory in Arizona, which is producing N95 respirator masks. It was the president's first trip outside of the Washington area since the pandemic took hold nearly two months ago.
"The people of our country are warriors," Trump said during a roundtable earlier in the day. "I'm not saying anything is perfect. Yes, will some people be affected? Yes. Will some people be affected badly? Yes. But we have to get our country opened and we have to get it open soon."
Trump also said his own expectations for the mortality rate were rising. "I always felt 60, 65, 70, as horrible as that is. I mean, you're talking about filling up Yankee Stadium with death! So I thought it was horrible. But it's probably going to be somewhat higher than that," he said to Muir.
Trump's acknowledgement that reopening the country would likely cost lives represents a shifting White House calculus about risk and reward, given the economic hardship that the closure of most businesses in most states has caused over the past month.
Since mid-March, more than 30 million Americans have filed claims for unemployment. Meanwhile, the $1,200 temporary relief checks that Congress approved for more than 100 million Americans were not designed to provide long-term solutions, just a short-term bridge until the country reopened.
Now, after a month during which the country has been in virtual lockdown, new coronavirus cases appear to have leveled off in some areas, but they haven't plummeted the same way they have in countries like New Zealand.
"While mitigation didn't fail, I think it's fair to say that it didn't work as well as we expected," former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a televised interview last Sunday. "We expected that we would start seeing more significant declines in new cases and deaths around the nation at this point, and we're just not seeing that."
"We may be facing the prospect that 20,000, 30,000 new cases a day diagnosed becomes a new normal and a thousand or more deaths becomes a new normal as well," Gottlieb said. He also noted that the numbers of new cases are still rising in more than a dozen states, even as other states begin reopening.
--- CNBC's Dawn Kopecki contributed reporting


cnbc--2020-05-06--Trump does not wear coronavirus mask at Honeywell factory that makes masks

President Donald Trump did not wear a mask as a coronavirus precaution during a visit Tuesday to a Honeywell factory in Phoenix that is producing millions of N95 masks for the federal government .
Other official visitors with Trump , who did put on safety glasses for his tour , also were not wearing masks .
But Honeywell employees working on the production line were wearing masks .
And a sign in the factory said that everyone there is required to wear a mask .
At one point during his tour , the Guns N ' Roses cover of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Let Die '' was being blasted from the factory 's PA system , as workers performed their tasks .
Trump , who has consistently refused to wear a mask while interacting with others despite federal guidance urging all Americans to do so , earlier Tuesday had said that he would put on a mask if it was required at the Honeywell facility .
A White House official said that Honeywell had told the White House that Trump and other visitors did not need to wear masks .
`` If it 's a mask @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' Trump had said Tuesday before boarding Air Force One to fly to Arizona .
`` I would wear it .
If it 's a mask environment , I would have no problem . ''
Trump was not wearing a mask when he walked off Air Force One after it landed in Arizona .
And the president did not wear a mask at a roundtable discussion about Covid-19 assistance to Native Americans , which took place before he toured the Honeywell plant , which is producing masks under a $ 27.4 million @ @ @ @ @ @ @ with one of those masks , mounted on a plaque , during his visit .
After his tour , Trump addressed workers , and lauded what he called the `` incredible patriotic and hardworking men and women of Honeywell . ''
`` Moments ago we saw the brand-new production lines where you 're making high quality n95 respirators , they are made to perfection , '' Trump said .
`` There 's no bad masks , like various countries have been sending .
Bad masks from other places .
Nothing like that at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to protect our heroic doctors and nurses as they fight the unseen enemy .
More than 150 Honeywell employees are working around the clock , three shifts a day six days a week.
`` Trump 's visit to Arizona was one of the few times in the past six weeks that he has left the White House .
The president spent last weekend at Camp David .
Trump on March 28 had visited Norfolk , Virginia , to see off the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort , which sailed to New York City @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Covid-19 patients .
Vice President Mike Pence was criticized last week for not wearing a mask while touring the Mayo Clinic , despite that renowned health-care facility mandating masks for all visitors , patients and staff to prevent coronavirus infections there .

Trump, who has consistently refused to wear a mask while interacting with others despite federal guidance urging all Americans to do so , earlier Tuesday had said that he would put on a mask if it was required at the Honeywell facility.
At one point during his tour, the Guns N' Roses cover of the James Bond movie song "Live and Let Die" was being blasted from the factory's PA system, as workers performed their tasks.
But Honeywell employees working on the production line were wearing masks. And a sign in the factory said that everyone there is required to wear a mask.
Other official visitors with Trump, who did put on safety glasses for his tour, also were not wearing masks.
President Donald Trump did not wear a mask as a coronavirus precaution during a visit Tuesday to a Honeywell factory in Phoenix that is producing millions of N95 masks for the federal government.
President Donald Trump tours a Honeywell International Inc. factory producing N95 masks during his first trip since widespread COVID-19 related lockdowns went into effect May 5, 2020, in Phoenix, Arizona.
A White House official said that Honeywell had told the White House that Trump and other visitors did not need to wear masks.
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"If it's a mask environment, I would certainly do that," Trump had said Tuesday before boarding Air Force One to fly to Arizona.
"I would wear it. If it's a mask environment, I would have no problem."
Trump was not wearing a mask when he walked off Air Force One after it landed in Arizona.
Tweet
And the president did not wear a mask at a roundtable discussion about Covid-19 assistance to Native Americans, which took place before he toured the Honeywell plant, which is producing masks under a $27.4 million Defense Department contract.
Trump was presented with one of those masks, mounted on a plaque, during his visit.
After his tour, Trump addressed workers, and lauded what he called the "incredible patriotic and hardworking men and women of Honeywell."
"Moments ago we saw the brand-new production lines where you're making high quality n95 respirators, they are made to perfection," Trump said. "There's no bad masks, like various countries have been sending. Bad masks from other places. Nothing like that at Honeywell."
"Respirators are there to protect our heroic doctors and nurses as they fight the unseen enemy. More than 150 Honeywell employees are working around the clock, three shifts a day six days a week. "
Trump's visit to Arizona was one of the few times in the past six weeks that he has left the White House. The president spent last weekend at Camp David.
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Trump on March 28 had visited Norfolk, Virginia, to see off the U.S. Navy hospital ship Comfort, which sailed to New York City to alleviate strain on hospitals dealing with Covid-19 patients.
Vice President Mike Pence was criticized last week for not wearing a mask while touring the Mayo Clinic, despite that renowned health-care facility mandating masks for all visitors, patients and staff to prevent coronavirus infections there.


cnbc--2020-05-05--Trump says coronavirus 'bailouts' for blue states are unfair to Republicans

Vice President Mike Pence , right , and President Donald Trump watch a video of New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo speaking during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House , Sunday , April 19 , 2020 , in Washington .
`` I do n't think the Republicans want to be in a position where they bail out states that are , that have been mismanaged over a long period of time , '' the president said .
By contrast , `` Florida is doing phenomenal , Texas is doing phenomenal , the Midwest is , you know @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Trump said .
`` You look at Illinois , you look at New York , look at California , you know , those three , there 's tremendous debt there , and many others , '' Trump said in an interview with the New York Post published Monday .
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said that increased federal funding to help states recover from the coronavirus pandemic is unfair to Republicans , `` because all the states that need help — they 're run by Democrats in every case . ''
On @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and suggested that any federal coronavirus aid to states should be conditioned on those cities and states adopting policies that more closely mirror Trump 's political priorities .
`` Well run States should not be bailing out poorly run States , using CoronaVirus as the excuse !
The elimination of Sanctuary Cities , Payroll Taxes , and perhaps Capital Gains Taxes , must be put on the table .
Also lawsuit indemnification & business deductions for restaurants & ent . ''
Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon .
The effect of the tweet is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a negotiation that is largely the realm of Congress , which appropriates federal funding .
Trump would be required to sign any new bills into law , however .
The White House declined to comment on whether these policy goals were ultimatums , or merely an opening salvo in the negotiations .
It 's also difficult to separate Trump 's demands from his political priorities in an election year .
Tax cuts and immigration are two issues in particular that have animated the president 's supporters in the past .
The question of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to states is emerging as a key fault line for Congress as it prepares to negotiate a fourth coronavirus aid package in the coming weeks .
Democratic House leadership insists that any legislation contain $ 500 billion in aid for states .
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell , R-Ky. , recently dismissed the idea of allowing states to use federal funds to help them make up for budget shortfalls .
`` We 're not interested in solving their pension problems for them , we 're not interested in rescuing them from bad @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' McConnell said in a televised interview in late April .
Unlike the federal government , states can not borrow money to fund ongoing operations .
So the tax revenue that has been lost due to the coronavirus will require cuts elsewhere in the states ' budgets in order for them to remain balanced .
Both Democratic and Republican governors have pointed out that these revenue shortfalls are likely to mean cuts to social services for the poor and elderly and funding for police , fire departments and schools .
`` That @ @ @ @ @ @ @ GOP Gov .
Larry Hogan , in response to McConnell 's characterization of the funds as , essentially , a blue state bailout .
`` These are well-run states .
There are just as many Republicans as Democrats that strongly support this , '' Hogan , who chairs the National Governors Association , told Politico .
Trump has drawn a distinction between what he calls `` a bailout '' and merely reimbursing states for coronavirus expenses , but it 's a fuzzy line .
`` I think Congress is inclined to do a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't think they 're inclined to do bailouts , '' Trump told the New York Post .
`` A bailout is different than , you know , reimbursing for the plague . ''
This is not the first time Trump has cast federal aid to states in nakedly political terms .
Last week , he tweeted , `` Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states ( like Illinois , as example ) and cities , in all cases Democrat run and managed , when most of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ bailout help ?
I am open to discussing anything , but just asking ? ''
As of Tuesday , New York , Trump 's home state , has had more than 300,000 cases of the coronavirus , well over 20 % of the national total of 1.2 million .
`` Every state has coronavirus cases , and it 's not just Democratic states that have an economic shortfall .
Republican states have an economic shortfall , '' New York Gov .
Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday .

Vice President Mike Pence, right, and President Donald Trump watch a video of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo speaking during a coronavirus task force briefing at the White House, Sunday, April 19, 2020, in Washington.
"I don't think the Republicans want to be in a position where they bail out states that are, that have been mismanaged over a long period of time," the president said.
By contrast, "Florida is doing phenomenal, Texas is doing phenomenal, the Midwest is, you know, fantastic — very little debt," Trump said.
"You look at Illinois, you look at New York, look at California, you know, those three, there's tremendous debt there, and many others," Trump said in an interview with the New York Post published Monday.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump said that increased federal funding to help states recover from the coronavirus pandemic is unfair to Republicans, "because all the states that need help — they're run by Democrats in every case."
On Tuesday, Trump went a step further, and suggested that any federal coronavirus aid to states should be conditioned on those cities and states adopting policies that more closely mirror Trump's political priorities.
"Well run States should not be bailing out poorly run States, using CoronaVirus as the excuse! The elimination of Sanctuary Cities, Payroll Taxes, and perhaps Capital Gains Taxes, must be put on the table. Also lawsuit indemnification & business deductions for restaurants & ent." Trump tweeted Tuesday afternoon.
TWEET
The effect of the tweet is to inject the president's priorities into a negotiation that is largely the realm of Congress, which appropriates federal funding. Trump would be required to sign any new bills into law, however.
The White House declined to comment on whether these policy goals were ultimatums, or merely an opening salvo in the negotiations. It's also difficult to separate Trump's demands from his political priorities in an election year. Tax cuts and immigration are two issues in particular that have animated the president's supporters in the past.
The question of whether and how to allocate federal funds to states is emerging as a key fault line for Congress as it prepares to negotiate a fourth coronavirus aid package in the coming weeks.
Democratic House leadership insists that any legislation contain $500 billion in aid for states. But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., recently dismissed the idea of allowing states to use federal funds to help them make up for budget shortfalls.
"We're not interested in solving their pension problems for them, we're not interested in rescuing them from bad decisions they've made in the past," McConnell said in a televised interview in late April.
Unlike the federal government, states cannot borrow money to fund ongoing operations. So the tax revenue that has been lost due to the coronavirus will require cuts elsewhere in the states' budgets in order for them to remain balanced.
Both Democratic and Republican governors have pointed out that these revenue shortfalls are likely to mean cuts to social services for the poor and elderly and funding for police, fire departments and schools.
"That's complete nonsense," said Maryland GOP Gov. Larry Hogan, in response to McConnell's characterization of the funds as, essentially, a blue state bailout. "These are well-run states. There are just as many Republicans as Democrats that strongly support this," Hogan, who chairs the National Governors Association, told Politico.
Trump has drawn a distinction between what he calls "a bailout" and merely reimbursing states for coronavirus expenses, but it's a fuzzy line.
"I think Congress is inclined to do a lot of things, but I don't think they're inclined to do bailouts," Trump told the New York Post. "A bailout is different than, you know, reimbursing for the plague."
This is not the first time Trump has cast federal aid to states in nakedly political terms. Last week, he tweeted, "Why should the people and taxpayers of America be bailing out poorly run states (like Illinois, as example) and cities, in all cases Democrat run and managed, when most of the other states are not looking for bailout help? I am open to discussing anything, but just asking?"
As of Tuesday, New York, Trump's home state, has had more than 300,000 cases of the coronavirus, well over 20% of the national total of 1.2 million.
"Every state has coronavirus cases, and it's not just Democratic states that have an economic shortfall. Republican states have an economic shortfall," New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said Tuesday.


cnbc--2020-05-05--Trump defends coronavirus team phaseout: 'We can't keep our country closed for the next 5 years'

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the White House will phase out its coronavirus task force and likely replace it with a group focused on `` reopening '' the U.S. economy .
When asked why he was winding down the group , even as health experts warn of a recurrence in cases later this year , Trump said , `` Well , because we ca n't keep our country closed for the next five years . ''
If a recurrence does happen , `` It 'll be a flame , '' Trump said at a roundtable event in Phoenix , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the flame out . ''
The gradual phaseout of the group would come as states begin relaxing their strict social distancing measures — even as some regions see an uptick in Covid-19 cases .
Vice President Mike Pence , who oversees the task force , confirmed in a meeting with reporters Tuesday that the administration is having conversations about transitioning the coronavirus response to other federal agencies .
`` We 've already begun to talk about a transition plan with FEMA , '' said Pence , who suggested the wind-down is `` all @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 've made as a country . ''
The administration is looking at starting that transition as soon as late May , Pence said .
`` I think we 're starting to look at the Memorial Day window , early June window as a time when we could begin to transition back to having our agencies begin to manage — begin to manage our national response in a more traditional manner , '' the vice president said .
Trump said at the roundtable Tuesday afternoon : `` Mike Pence and the task force have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're now looking at a little bit of a different form , and that form is safety and opening , and we 'll have a different group probably set up for that . ''
The task force , which includes response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci , has already been moved out of the spotlight .
On-camera press briefings with the task force , once a near-daily occurrence , have not been held since April 24 , and a source told CNBC @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently .
But Fauci told CBS in an interview Tuesday afternoon that the task force is not winding down .
`` That 's not true , I 've been in every task force meeting , and that 's not what they are doing , '' Fauci said , CBS reported .
The New York Times first reported earlier Tuesday that the task force would be wound down in the weeks ahead , and that it may never be formally disbanded .
It is unclear if any other group might replace the current task @ @ @ @ @ @ @ other top White House staff have told senior officials involved in the group to expect it to wind down within weeks , the Times reported .
With the U.S. economy tanking amid the outbreak , President Donald Trump has expressed an eagerness for governors to begin the process of `` reopening '' their states by lifting some of the restrictions designed to try to slow the spread of the disease .
A self-described cheerleader for the country amid the pandemic , Trump has predicted a sweeping economic rebound by the end of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ reelection .
`` We 'll open it up and I think your fourth quarter is going to be very good , '' Trump said in a New York Post interview published Tuesday morning .
But experts say that new Covid-19 infections and deaths could start to rise as states reopen for business .
More than 1.1 million cases and at least 70,115 deaths from the coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S. , according to data from Johns Hopkins University .
Before the task force 's daily press events at the White House @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a starring role in the briefings , which became marked by his lengthy and often combative exchanges with reporters .
Critics had accused Trump of co-opting the briefings and turning them into de facto reelection campaign events , since social distancing measures prevented him from staging the massive rallies that he previously held on the campaign trail .
Even some of Trump 's allies reportedly questioned whether his extended appearances were doing more harm than good .
Trump 's use of the briefings appeared to come to an abrupt end on April 23 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he speculated about whether injecting disinfectants could work as a treatment for the virus .
`` I see the disinfectant , where it knocks it out in a minute .
One minute .
And is there a way we can do something like that , by injection inside or almost a cleaning , '' Trump said .
`` Because you see it gets in the lungs , and it does a tremendous number on the lungs .
So it would be interesting to check that . ''
Trump tried to walk back the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was being `` sarcastic . ''
The president took no questions at the briefing later that evening .
No on-camera press briefings with the task force have been scheduled since .

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that the White House will phase out its coronavirus task force and likely replace it with a group focused on "reopening" the U.S. economy.
When asked why he was winding down the group, even as health experts warn of a recurrence in cases later this year, Trump said, "Well, because we can't keep our country closed for the next five years."
If a recurrence does happen, "It'll be a flame," Trump said at a roundtable event in Phoenix, Arizona, "and we'll put the flame out."
The gradual phaseout of the group would come as states begin relaxing their strict social distancing measures — even as some regions see an uptick in Covid-19 cases.
Vice President Mike Pence, who oversees the task force, confirmed in a meeting with reporters Tuesday that the administration is having conversations about transitioning the coronavirus response to other federal agencies.
"We've already begun to talk about a transition plan with FEMA," said Pence, who suggested the wind-down is "all a reflection of the tremendous progress we've made as a country."
The administration is looking at starting that transition as soon as late May, Pence said.
"I think we're starting to look at the Memorial Day window, early June window as a time when we could begin to transition back to having our agencies begin to manage — begin to manage our national response in a more traditional manner," the vice president said.
Trump said at the roundtable Tuesday afternoon: "Mike Pence and the task force have done a great job, but we're now looking at a little bit of a different form, and that form is safety and opening, and we'll have a different group probably set up for that."
The task force, which includes response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx and National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Dr. Anthony Fauci, has already been moved out of the spotlight. On-camera press briefings with the task force, once a near-daily occurrence, have not been held since April 24, and a source told CNBC that the operation has been meeting less frequently.
But Fauci told CBS in an interview Tuesday afternoon that the task force is not winding down.
"That's not true, I've been in every task force meeting, and that's not what they are doing," Fauci said, CBS reported.
Reid CBS TWEET
The New York Times first reported earlier Tuesday that the task force would be wound down in the weeks ahead, and that it may never be formally disbanded. It is unclear if any other group might replace the current task force.
Pence advisor Olivia Troye and other top White House staff have told senior officials involved in the group to expect it to wind down within weeks, the Times reported.
With the U.S. economy tanking amid the outbreak, President Donald Trump has expressed an eagerness for governors to begin the process of "reopening" their states by lifting some of the restrictions designed to try to slow the spread of the disease.
A self-described cheerleader for the country amid the pandemic, Trump has predicted a sweeping economic rebound by the end of the year, when he is up for reelection. "We'll open it up and I think your fourth quarter is going to be very good," Trump said in a New York Post interview published Tuesday morning.
But experts say that new Covid-19 infections and deaths could start to rise as states reopen for business.
More than 1.1 million cases and at least 70,115 deaths from the coronavirus have been confirmed in the U.S., according to data from Johns Hopkins University.
Before the task force's daily press events at the White House were apparently scrapped, Trump had assumed a starring role in the briefings, which became marked by his lengthy and often combative exchanges with reporters.
Critics had accused Trump of co-opting the briefings and turning them into de facto reelection campaign events, since social distancing measures prevented him from staging the massive rallies that he previously held on the campaign trail. Even some of Trump's allies reportedly questioned whether his extended appearances were doing more harm than good.
Trump's use of the briefings appeared to come to an abrupt end on April 23 when, in apparently off-the-cuff remarks, he speculated about whether injecting disinfectants could work as a treatment for the virus.
"I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute. One minute. And is there a way we can do something like that, by injection inside or almost a cleaning," Trump said. "Because you see it gets in the lungs, and it does a tremendous number on the lungs. So it would be interesting to check that."
Trump tried to walk back the remarks the following day, claiming he was being "sarcastic." The president took no questions at the briefing later that evening. No on-camera press briefings with the task force have been scheduled since.


cnbc--2020-05-05--Coronavirus fraud: Two New England men are first to be charged with scamming small business loan pro

Coronavirus fraud: Two New England men are first to be charged with scamming small business loan program

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as Senator Roy Blunt ( R-MO ) and Small Business Administration ( SBA ) Administrator Jovita Carranza look on during a signing ceremony for the `` Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act , '' approving additional coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) relief for the U.S. economy and hospitals treating people sickened by the pandemic , in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington , U.S. , April 24 , 2020 .
Two New England men have become the first people charged in the United States with fraudulently applying for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ help small businesses deal with financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic .
The men allegedly applied for more than $ 500,000 in assistance from the new CARES Act Payroll Protection Program , federal prosecutors said Tuesday .
David Staveley , 52 , a resident of Andover , Massachusetts , and David Butziger , 51 , of Warwick , Rhode Island , allegedly claimed to `` have dozens of employees earning wages at four different business entities when , in fact , there were no employees working for any of the businesses , '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Butziger are charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to make false statements to influence the Small Business Administration and conspiracy to commit bank fraud .
Staveley , who also is known by the name Kurt Sanborn , additionally is charged with aggravated identity theft , and Butziger also is charged with bank fraud .
Under the name Kurt Sanborn , Staveley was sentenced in 2015 to 27 months in federal prison for fraud related to mortgages on properties in New Hampshire .
Prosecutors said Tuesday that he and Butziger are alleged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ creation of fraudulent loan applications and supporting documentations to seek loans guaranteed by the SBA for COVID-19 relief . ''
Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman , whose office lodged the charges , said in a statement , `` Tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs and have had their lives thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus pandemic . ''
`` It is unconscionable that anyone would attempt to steal from a program intended to help hard working Americans continue to be paid so they can feed their families and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Weisman said .
Authorities said that Staveley claimed in loan applications seeking $ 438,500 `` that he had dozens of employees at three restaurants he owned , two in Warwick , Rhode Island , and one in Berlin , Massachusetts . ''
`` An investigation determined that one of the Rhode Island restaurants , the former Remington House , and the Massachusetts restaurant , On The Trax , were not open for business prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic , at the time the loan applications were submitted , or at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Justice Department .
`` Moreover , Staveley did not own or have any role in the second Rhode Island restaurant , Top of the Bay , for which he was seeking financial relief . ''

U.S. President Donald Trump speaks to reporters as Senator Roy Blunt (R-MO) and Small Business Administration (SBA) Administrator Jovita Carranza look on during a signing ceremony for the "Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act," approving additional coronavirus disease (COVID-19) relief for the U.S. economy and hospitals treating people sickened by the pandemic, in the Oval Office at the White House in Washington, U.S., April 24, 2020.
Two New England men have become the first people charged in the United States with fraudulently applying for aid from a federal program designed to help small businesses deal with financial fallout from the coronavirus pandemic.
The men allegedly applied for more than $500,000 in assistance from the new CARES Act Payroll Protection Program, federal prosecutors said Tuesday.
David Staveley, 52, a resident of Andover, Massachusetts, and David Butziger, 51, of Warwick, Rhode Island, allegedly claimed to "have dozens of employees earning wages at four different business entities when, in fact, there were no employees working for any of the businesses," the Justice Department said.
Staveley and Butziger are charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to make false statements to influence the Small Business Administration and conspiracy to commit bank fraud.
Staveley, who also is known by the name Kurt Sanborn, additionally is charged with aggravated identity theft, and Butziger also is charged with bank fraud.
Under the name Kurt Sanborn, Staveley was sentenced in 2015 to 27 months in federal prison for fraud related to mortgages on properties in New Hampshire.
Prosecutors said Tuesday that he and Butziger are alleged to have discussed via email "the creation of fraudulent loan applications and supporting documentations to seek loans guaranteed by the SBA for COVID-19 relief."
Rhode Island U.S. Attorney Aaron Weisman, whose office lodged the charges, said in a statement, "Tens of millions of Americans have lost their jobs and have had their lives thrown into chaos because of the coronavirus pandemic."
"It is unconscionable that anyone would attempt to steal from a program intended to help hard working Americans continue to be paid so they can feed their families and pay some of their bills," Weisman said.
Authorities said that Staveley claimed in loan applications seeking $438,500 "that he had dozens of employees at three restaurants he owned, two in Warwick, Rhode Island, and one in Berlin, Massachusetts."
"An investigation determined that one of the Rhode Island restaurants, the former Remington House, and the Massachusetts restaurant, On The Trax, were not open for business prior to the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, at the time the loan applications were submitted, or at any time thereafter," according to the Justice Department.
"Moreover, Staveley did not own or have any role in the second Rhode Island restaurant, Top of the Bay, for which he was seeking financial relief."


cnbc--2020-05-05--Trump says Fauci was blocked from coronavirus testimony because of 'haters' in the House

Donald Trump speaks as he departs the White House , on May 5 , 2020 , in Washington , DC en route to Arizona , where he will tour a mask factory and hold a roundtable on Native American issues .
`` The House is a bunch of Trump haters .
They put every Trump hater on the committee , the same old stuff , '' the president told reporters before he left Washington to tour a medical mask factory in Arizona .
The White House then allowed Fauci to testify at a coronavirus response hearing set for next week @ @ @ @ @ @ @ why the administration barred him from speaking to the House , Trump responded , `` Because the House is a set up . ''
On Friday , the Trump administration said it barred Fauci from testifying at a Wednesday hearing in the Democratic-held House .
At the time , White House spokesman Judd Deere said it would be `` counter-productive '' for the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to attend because he continues to work on the government pandemic response .
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the House because the chamber is full of `` Trump haters , '' contradicting the White House claim that the key health official is too busy to appear at a hearing on the U.S. coronavirus response .
`` They frankly want our situation to be unsuccessful , '' he said , appearing to contend without evidence that Democrats want the government pandemic response to fail .
The White House declined to comment on the discrepancy between its explanation and the one Trump offered Tuesday for blocking Fauci 's testimony .
But Trump @ @ @ @ @ @ @ administration to stop a critical health official from speaking to Congress about the government 's response to an outbreak that has now infected more than 1.1 million Americans and led to nearly 70,000 deaths , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
On Monday , House Speaker Nancy Pelosi criticized the White House for stopping Fauci from speaking .
She told CNN `` I was hoping they would spend more time on the crisis instead of those daily shows that the President put on , '' referring to the freewheeling briefings @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before backing off of them in May .
She added that `` we will be very strictly insisting on the truth and they might be afraid of the truth . ''
Fauci , who has led NIAID for decades , has offered straightforward updates on the nature of Covid-19 and the government 's efforts to combat it throughout the crisis .
He has become a more trusted voice on the outbreak than Trump , who has repeatedly shared misleading or inaccurate information about the disease .
Last month , the president retweeted a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the health official said the U.S. `` obviously '' could have saved more lives if it acted more swiftly to slow the outbreak 's spread .
Fauci later said he used `` the wrong choice of words . ''

Donald Trump speaks as he departs the White House, on May 5, 2020, in Washington, DC en route to Arizona, where he will tour a mask factory and hold a roundtable on Native American issues.
President Donald Trump said Tuesday that his administration blocked Dr. Anthony Fauci from testifying in the House because the chamber is full of "Trump haters," contradicting the White House claim that the key health official is too busy to appear at a hearing on the U.S. coronavirus response.
On Friday, the Trump administration said it barred Fauci from testifying at a Wednesday hearing in the Democratic-held House. At the time, White House spokesman Judd Deere said it would be "counter-productive" for the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases to attend because he continues to work on the government pandemic response.
The White House then allowed Fauci to testify at a coronavirus response hearing set for next week in the GOP-controlled Senate. Asked Tuesday why the administration barred him from speaking to the House, Trump responded, "Because the House is a set up."
"The House is a bunch of Trump haters. They put every Trump hater on the committee, the same old stuff," the president told reporters before he left Washington to tour a medical mask factory in Arizona.


cnbc--2020-05-05--Trump says he will wear coronavirus mask at Honeywell factory if it is required

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will wear a mask as a precaution against coronavirus , if required to do so , during a trip later in the day to a Honeywell factory in Arizona that is manufacturing masks .
Trump , who has refused to wear a mask in recent weeks despite federal guidance calling for Americans to wear one when in public , said it would wear a mask at the Phoenix factory if it is mandatory for people there .
`` I think it 's a masked facility , '' Trump told reporters at the White @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Honeywell .
`` If it 's a masked facility , I will .
I do n't know if it 's a masked facility , '' he said .
Later , before boarding Air Force 1 to fly to Phoenix , Trump was asked if he had decided to wear a mask at Honeywell 's facility .
`` No , I have n't decided because I do n't know is it a -- if it 's a mask environment , I would certainly do that .
I 'll know when I get there , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ I would wear it .
If it 's a mask environment , I would have no problem . ''
When a reporter asked if it was important for him to wear a mask , Trump said , `` I 'm supposed to make a speech .
You 'll tell me : Should I leave the mask on when I 'm speaking ? ''
`` I do n't know .
I just -- it does n't sound right .
But if it 's a mask environment , I would certainly wear a mask .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ had any concerns about the people traveling with him Tuesday , Trump said that everyone with him had been tested for the coronavirus , or `` they would n't be allowed to travel with me . ''
Honeywell 's facility is making millions of N95 masks for the U.S. government .
Vice President Mike Pence drew heavy criticism last week when he toured the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and did not wear a mask despite a policy there requiring masks for all staff , patients and visitors .
But two days after that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a visit to a General Motors plant in Indiana that is making ventilators to help meet demand from hospitals treating patients with Covid-19 .

President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he will wear a mask as a precaution against coronavirus, if required to do so, during a trip later in the day to a Honeywell factory in Arizona that is manufacturing masks.
Trump, who has refused to wear a mask in recent weeks despite federal guidance calling for Americans to wear one when in public, said it would wear a mask at the Phoenix factory if it is mandatory for people there.
"I think it's a masked facility," Trump told reporters at the White House before departing for his trip to Honeywell.
"If it's a masked facility, I will. I don't know if it's a masked facility," he said.
Later, before boarding Air Force 1 to fly to Phoenix, Trump was asked if he had decided to wear a mask at Honeywell's facility.
"No, I haven't decided because I don't know is it a -- if it's a mask environment, I would certainly do that. I'll know when I get there," the president said. "But I would wear it. If it's a mask environment, I would have no problem."
When a reporter asked if it was important for him to wear a mask, Trump said, "I'm supposed to make a speech. You'll tell me: Should I leave the mask on when I'm speaking?"
"I don't know. I just -- it doesn't sound right. But if it's a mask environment, I would certainly wear a mask."
When a reporter asked if he had any concerns about the people traveling with him Tuesday, Trump said that everyone with him had been tested for the coronavirus, or "they wouldn't be allowed to travel with me."
Honeywell's facility is making millions of N95 masks for the U.S. government.
Vice President Mike Pence drew heavy criticism last week when he toured the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota and did not wear a mask despite a policy there requiring masks for all staff, patients and visitors.
But two days after that, Pence did wear a mask during a visit to a General Motors plant in Indiana that is making ventilators to help meet demand from hospitals treating patients with Covid-19.


cnbc--2020-05-06--Trump says 'there'll be more death' from coronavirus, but reopening is worth it

`` There 'll be more death , that the virus will pass , with or without a vaccine .
And I think we 're doing very well on the vaccines but , with or without a vaccine , it 's going to pass , and we 're going to be back to normal , '' Trump said .
`` It 's possible there will be some [ deaths ] because you wo n't be locked into an apartment or house or whatever it is , '' Trump told ABC 's David Muir in a rare network news interview .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 're going to practice social distancing , we 're going to be washing hands , we 're going to be doing a lot of the things that we 've learned to do over the last period of time . ''
WASHINGTON -- President Donald Trump on Tuesday acknowledged that reopening parts of the nation 's economy now , against the advice of many health experts , would inevitably cost some Americans their lives .
But he argued that the benefits outweighed the costs .
There is no evidence so far that , in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus `` will pass '' in a way that allows the country to return to a pre-coronavirus `` normal . ''
In fact , it 's the opposite .
Trump 's own top scientists say they believe the virus will come back in the fall and may even prove to come back every season like the flu .
But the president argued that not reopening businesses also costs people their lives , in the form of drug overdoses and suicides .
`` People are dying the other way , too . ''
said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what 's happened with drugs , it goes up .
When you look at suicides , I mean , take a look at what 's going on .
People are losing their jobs .
We have to bring it back and that 's what we 're doing . ''
There is currently no documented epidemic of suicide , although experts say it 's likely that a mental health crisis is looming .
Trump made the remarks Tuesday during a visit to a Honeywell factory in Arizona , which is producing N95 respirator masks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ trip outside of the Washington area since the pandemic took hold nearly two months ago .
`` The people of our country are warriors , '' Trump said during a roundtable earlier in the day .
`` I 'm not saying anything is perfect .
Yes , will some people be affected ?
Yes .
Will some people be affected badly ?
Yes .
But we have to get our country opened and we have to get it open soon . ''
Trump also said his own expectations for the mortality rate were @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , 65 , 70 , as horrible as that is .
I mean , you 're talking about filling up Yankee Stadium with death !
So I thought it was horrible .
But it 's probably going to be somewhat higher than that , '' he said to Muir .
Trump 's acknowledgement that reopening the country would likely cost lives represents a shifting White House calculus about risk and reward , given the economic hardship that the closure of most businesses in most states has caused over the past month .
Since @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have filed claims for unemployment .
Meanwhile , the $ 1,200 temporary relief checks that Congress approved for more than 100 million Americans were not designed to provide long-term solutions , just a short-term bridge until the country reopened .
Now , after a month during which the country has been in virtual lockdown , new coronavirus cases appear to have leveled off in some areas , but they have n't plummeted the same way they have in countries like New Zealand .
`` While mitigation did n't fail , I think it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ n't work as well as we expected , '' former FDA Commissioner Scott Gottlieb said in a televised interview last Sunday .
`` We expected that we would start seeing more significant declines in new cases and deaths around the nation at this point , and we 're just not seeing that . ''
`` We may be facing the prospect that 20,000 , 30,000 new cases a day diagnosed becomes a new normal and a thousand or more deaths becomes a new normal as well , '' Gottlieb said .
He also @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are still rising in more than a dozen states , even as other states begin reopening .


cnbc--2020-05-06--Supreme Court to hear arguments over whether companies can limit contraceptive coverage

The US Supreme Court is seen in Washington , DC , on May 4 , 2020 , during the first day of oral arguments held by telephone , a first in the Court 's history , as a result of COVID-19 , known as coronavirus .
Obamacare 's contraceptive coverage mandate returns to the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a high-profile case that will force the justices to once again consider which businesses may deny their employees access to free birth control .
The fight over the mandate , included in the 2010 health-care overhaul legislation formally known as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a decade and two presidential administrations .
It has come to the Supreme Court twice before — once , in 2016 , during an election year — though never quite like this time .
As a result of health precautions taken in the midst of the spreading coronavirus , Wednesday 's oral argument will be the third in the history of the court to be broadcast live to the public .
The audio feed , provided by C-Span , will be available at 10 a.m .
ET on this page .
The two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court over the coverage mandate concerned whether Obama administration requirements imposed too harsh a burden on employers with religious objections to providing or facilitating contraceptive coverage .
Wednesday 's case , the first to reach the Supreme Court under President Donald Trump , asks the opposite question : whether Trump administration rules released in 2017 provide too wide a carve-out for religious and moral objectors to deny women coverage .
The stakes in the latest case are higher than the previous two , according to Nelson Tebbe , a law professor at Cornell @ @ @ @ @ @ @ religious freedom .
In those cases , female employees whose benefits were at stake still retained coverage , via third parties , after their employers gained exemptions .
`` This is a very different kind of religious exemption because it does not provide alternative coverage for female employees or female dependents of male employees , '' Tebbe said .
Possibly more than 100,000 women stand to lose their contraceptive coverage , he said .

[The stream is slated to start at 10:00 a.m. ET. Please refresh the page if you do not see a player above at that time.]
Obamacare's contraceptive coverage mandate returns to the Supreme Court on Wednesday in a high-profile case that will force the justices to once again consider which businesses may deny their employees access to free birth control.
The fight over the mandate, included in the 2010 health-care overhaul legislation formally known as the Affordable Care Act, has spanned nearly a decade and two presidential administrations.
It has come to the Supreme Court twice before — once, in 2016, during an election year — though never quite like this time.
As a result of health precautions taken in the midst of the spreading coronavirus, Wednesday's oral argument will be the third in the history of the court to be broadcast live to the public. The audio feed will be available at 10 a.m. ET on this page.
The two previous cases that came to the Supreme Court over the coverage mandate concerned whether Obama administration requirements imposed too harsh a burden on employers with religious objections to providing or facilitating contraceptive coverage.
Wednesday's case, the first to reach the Supreme Court under President Donald Trump, asks the opposite question: whether Trump administration rules released in 2017 provide too wide a carve-out for religious and moral objectors to deny women coverage.
The stakes in the latest case are higher than the previous two, according to Nelson Tebbe, a law professor at Cornell Law School who studies constitutional law and religious freedom. In those cases, female employees whose benefits were at stake still retained coverage, via third parties, after their employers gained exemptions.
"This is a very different kind of religious exemption because it does not provide alternative coverage for female employees or female dependents of male employees," Tebbe said. Possibly more than 100,000 women stand to lose their contraceptive coverage, he said.


cnbc--2020-05-06--Coronavirus concerns drop in 2020 swing states as Republican fears fall, CNBC/Change Research poll f

Coronavirus concerns drop in 2020 swing states as Republican fears fall, CNBC/Change Research poll finds

Detroit residents line-up to be tested for free for the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) at the Sheffield Center in Detroit , Michigan , April 28 , 2020 .
The poll surveyed 3,544 likely voters across the six states from May 1 to 3 , and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.7 percentage points .
A partisan split appeared to drive the shift .
Only 39 % of Republicans said they had at least somewhat serious concerns about the coronavirus disease , down from 55 % last month .
At the same time , 97 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , nearly identical to the 98 % share in mid-April .
About two-thirds , or 68 % , of likely voters in the election battlegrounds of Arizona , Florida , Michigan , North Carolina , Pennsylvania and Wisconsin said they have `` very '' or `` somewhat '' serious concerns about Covid-19 , the States of Play poll found .
The share of respondents with major worries about the pandemic dropped from 76 % in mid-April .
Fears about the coronavirus have fallen in key 2020 swing states as Republican worries about the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ CNBC/Change Research survey .
The poll underscores how partisan views on and responses to the pandemic vary drastically .
Many Republican governors have started the process of reopening their economies , while Democratic executives have generally moved more slowly to lift state shutdowns meant to slow Covid-19 's spread .
Republican senators and advisors to President Donald Trump , meanwhile , have largely pushed for a swifter return to normal life than Democratic lawmakers have .
Only 12 % of Democratic voters responded that the effects of the coronavirus are starting to get @ @ @ @ @ @ @ they are still getting worse .
At the same time , 69 % of likely GOP voters said things are starting to get better , while only 19 % said they are getting worse .
Party identification appeared to drive feelings about the economy , as well .
Nine in 10 Democrats responded that they think the economy is `` probably '' or `` definitely '' in a recession .
But only 40 % of GOP likely voters said the same .
Those splits carried over from the mid-April poll , even as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lose paychecks .
More than a third , or 39 % , of Democratic voters said they or a member of their household lost a job or were furloughed because of the coronavirus , versus 33 % of Republicans , according to the May poll .
The pandemic continues to spread in the U.S .
It has now infected more than 1.1 million Americans , and led to at least 70,000 deaths , according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University .
The April government jobs report due Friday is expected to show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Like last month , the poll found a close race between Trump and apparent Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the swing states .
It found 48 % of respondents would back the incumbent , versus 45 % who would support the challenger .

The poll surveyed 3,544 likely voters across the six states from May 1 to 3, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 1.7 percentage points.
A partisan split appeared to drive the shift. Only 39% of Republicans said they had at least somewhat serious concerns about the coronavirus disease, down from 55% last month. At the same time, 97% of Democrats said they had significant worries, nearly identical to the 98% share in mid-April.
About two-thirds, or 68%, of likely voters in the election battlegrounds of Arizona, Florida, Michigan, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin said they have "very" or "somewhat" serious concerns about Covid-19 , the States of Play poll found. The share of respondents with major worries about the pandemic dropped from 76% in mid-April.
Fears about the coronavirus have fallen in key 2020 swing states as Republican worries about the pandemic slide, according to a new CNBC/Change Research survey.
The poll underscores how partisan views on and responses to the pandemic vary drastically. Many Republican governors have started the process of reopening their economies, while Democratic executives have generally moved more slowly to lift state shutdowns meant to slow Covid-19's spread. Republican senators and advisors to President Donald Trump, meanwhile, have largely pushed for a swifter return to normal life than Democratic lawmakers have.
Only 12% of Democratic voters responded that the effects of the coronavirus are starting to get better, versus 66% who said they are still getting worse. At the same time, 69% of likely GOP voters said things are starting to get better, while only 19% said they are getting worse.
Party identification appeared to drive feelings about the economy, as well. Nine in 10 Democrats responded that they think the economy is "probably" or "definitely" in a recession. But only 40% of GOP likely voters said the same.
Those splits carried over from the mid-April poll, even as similar shares of Democratic and Republican voters lose paychecks. More than a third, or 39%, of Democratic voters said they or a member of their household lost a job or were furloughed because of the coronavirus, versus 33% of Republicans, according to the May poll.
The pandemic continues to spread in the U.S. It has now infected more than 1.1 million Americans, and led to at least 70,000 deaths, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. The April government jobs report due Friday is expected to show an unemployment rate above 15%.
Like last month, the poll found a close race between Trump and apparent Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in the swing states. It found 48% of respondents would back the incumbent, versus 45% who would support the challenger.
— Graphic by CNBC's John Schoen
Subscribe to CNBC on YouTube.


cnbc--2020-05-06--Trump contradicts nurse in testy Oval Office exchange over coronavirus protective gear

A nurse found out Wednesday what happens when you contradict President Donald Trump on how well coronavirus response efforts are going while standing near him in the Oval Office .
Trump clapped back at that nurse , Sophia Thomas , who said that access to sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment `` has been sporadic . ''
Her comments came during a National Nurses Day event at the White House meant to honor those first responders .
Trump upon hearing a less-than-glowing description of the front lines , quickly shot back , `` Sporadic for you , but not sporadic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' The exchange underscored how sensitive Trump has been to suggestions that the United States has lagged in preparedness for the coronavirus outbreak under his watch .
Thomas , who is president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners , had told reporters in the Oval Office that there are `` certainly pockets of areas where PPE is not ideal but this is an unprecedented time . ''
`` I 've been reusing my N95 masks for a few weeks now , '' she said .
`` PPE has been sporadic but it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what we have to do , we 're nurses , '' said Thomas , who works at the Daughters of Charity Health System in New Orleans .
`` And we learn to adapt and do whatever the best thing we can do for our patients to get the job done and get the care provided , and that 's what we 're going to continue to do as Covid-19 continues . ''
After Trump 's testy response , Thomas said , `` Oh , no , I agree Mr .
President . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , `` Because I 've heard the opposite . ''
`` I 've heard that they are loaded up with gowns now . ''
`` And initially we had nothing , we had empty cupboards , we had empty shelves , we had nothing , because it was n't put there by the last administration , '' he said , referring to former President Barack Obama .
Trump then noted that he had traveled to a Honeywell factory in Phoenix a day earlier , to tour a production line that is making `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` We have other factories being built now for masks , and for the most part I mean , that was fine , '' Trump said , referring to the nurse . '
'' But I 've heard that we have tremendous supply to almost all places , '' he said .

A nurse found out Wednesday what happens when you contradict President Donald Trump on how well coronavirus response efforts are going while standing near him in the Oval Office.
Trump clapped back at that nurse, Sophia Thomas, who said that access to sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment "has been sporadic." Her comments came during a National Nurses Day event at the White House meant to honor those first responders.
Trump upon hearing a less-than-glowing description of the front lines, quickly shot back, "Sporadic for you, but not sporadic for a lot of other people."
The exchange underscored how sensitive Trump has been to suggestions that the United States has lagged in preparedness for the coronavirus outbreak under his watch.
Thomas, who is president of the American Association of Nurse Practitioners, had told reporters in the Oval Office that there are "certainly pockets of areas where PPE is not ideal but this is an unprecedented time."
"I've been reusing my N95 masks for a few weeks now," she said.
"PPE has been sporadic but it's been manageable, and we do what we have to do, we're nurses," said Thomas, who works at the Daughters of Charity Health System in New Orleans.
"And we learn to adapt and do whatever the best thing we can do for our patients to get the job done and get the care provided, and that's what we're going to continue to do as Covid-19 continues."
After Trump's testy response, Thomas said, "Oh, no, I agree Mr. President."
But Trump continued, folding his arms, "Because I've heard the opposite."
"I've heard that they are loaded up with gowns now."
"And initially we had nothing, we had empty cupboards, we had empty shelves, we had nothing, because it wasn't put there by the last administration," he said, referring to former President Barack Obama.
Trump then noted that he had traveled to a Honeywell factory in Phoenix a day earlier, to tour a production line that is making "millions of masks a month."
"We have other factories being built now for masks, and for the most part I mean, that was fine," Trump said, referring to the nurse.
'"But I've heard that we have tremendous supply to almost all places," he said.
"Tremendous supply."


cnbc--2020-05-06--Lincoln Project has its biggest day of fundraising after president attacks 'Never Trump' group

U.S. President Donald Trump watches workers on the assembly line manufacturing protective masks for the coronavirus disease ( COVID-19 ) outbreak during a tour of a Honeywell manufacturing facility in Phoenix , Arizona , May 5 , 2020 .
The Lincoln Project , which is run by Republican operatives who oppose President Donald Trump , raised $ 1 million after the president ripped the group on Twitter this week – marking it the super PAC 's biggest day of fundraising yet .
Reed Galen , a member of the Lincoln Project 's advisory committee , told CNBC that the total @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter tirade in reaction to an ad titled `` Mourning in America , '' which unloads on Trump 's response to the coronavirus pandemic .
It recently aired on Fox News , which Trump often watches and praises .
Galen said it was the Lincoln Project 's best single-day fundraising haul '' A group of RINO Republicans who failed badly 12 years ago , then again 8 years ago , and then got BADLY beaten by me , a political first timer , 4 years ago , have copied ( no imagination ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Reagan , 'Morning in America , ' '' the president said just before 1:00 a.m .
ET on Tuesday .

President Donald Trump speaks with news anchors Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum during a Virtual Town Hall inside of the Lincoln Memorial on May 3, 2020 in Washington, DC.
The Lincoln Project, which is run by Republican operatives who oppose President Donald Trump, raised $1 million after the president ripped the group on Twitter this week – marking it the super PAC's biggest day of fundraising yet.
Reed Galen, a member of the Lincoln Project's advisory committee, told CNBC that the total came after the president's Tuesday morning Twitter tirade in reaction to an ad titled "Mourning in America," which unloads on Trump's response to the coronavirus pandemic. It recently aired on Fox News, which Trump often watches and praises. Galen said it was the Lincoln Project's best single-day fundraising haul
"A group of RINO Republicans who failed badly 12 years ago, then again 8 years ago, and then got BADLY beaten by me, a political first timer, 4 years ago, have copied (no imagination) the concept of an ad from Ronald Reagan, 'Morning in America,'" the president said just before 1:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday.