NEW — President Trump says in the next two weeks it is important to follow the guidelines outlined by the White House. Says they will be in place until April 30th (at least?).
Trump says as the US heads toward its peak, the guidelines will remain in place. Physical distancing regulations were set to expire on Tuesday. Guidelines now in place until April 30th.
President Trump says “people should check that,” whether hospitals are hoarding emergency supplies, says people should investigate if that’s happening in New York.
President Trump asks Dr Fauci to address his statements earlier today on CNN. Fauci says the numbers he gave our are based on modeling. Says it is possible, says they’re trying to not let that happen.
Dr. Fauci says they feel the mitigating is working, but it is hard to quantify. To extend the mitigation extension is wise and prudent. Says idea that we may have these many cases played a factor in decision to extend guidelines.
Dr. Birx is now speaking — she says al of the flu models predicted between 1.2-1.6 million deaths if there was NO mitigation. She says those numbers have been public, and it’s based on modeling. Again, estimates if there was no mitigation.
Dr. Birx says on Tuesday there will be something new presented about diagnosis and tracking.
President Trump says he’s asked the experts what would happen if they did nothing. Says think of the number, possibly 2.2 million deaths if they did nothing. When I heard the number today, he felt even better about what he did with relief bill.
Trump says if the number can be held down to 100-thousand deaths, it’s a horrible number he says, says when the potential for 2.2 million deaths - he feels good about the measures they took last week.
Trump says it was not a mistake to float Easter as the date to reopen the US. Says it was aspirational goal. Says they know more now than they did two three weeks ago (note he floated the Easter last week). Says he expects the peak of cases in Easter.
Trump is asked about his high viewership ratings, and how some networks don’t want to carry his news conferences live given they contain inaccurate information at time’s. Trump says he wishes this was not going on — says he wants life to come back.
President Trump says the media had been more fair, and they should want to be more fair because this is about death.
Trump says he thinks “landlords are going to take it easy,” says they’re not going to have a choice.
Trump is asked about why he threatened quarantine? Trump says he didn’t threaten. Said he was going to look at it. Claims he didn’t go around threatening it. They were looking at it.
Trump says a quarantine is very hard to enforce.
Trump is asked if he frightened people by publicly floating the possibility of a quarantine? Trump says no.
Trump is now criticizing a reporter for her question, accusing her of being too negative. Reporter is asking about when Trump said NY wouldn’t need as many ventilators the governor claimed to need. Trump says he didn’t say it (he did say it on Fox News tho).
Trump accused the reporter of being threatening. She says she is simply quoting the president and his interview on Fox News. She tried to ask a second question — he says that’s enough and won’t take another question from here.
Trump is asked about how bad the peak is going to be in two weeks? Birx and Fauci handle the question. Fauci says a model is as good as the assumption, and says many assumptions are based on a complexity of issues — there are worst and best extremes.
Fauci says he doesn’t ignore models, but looks at the data as it is evolving, and do everything to mitigate. Not to get overly anxious about the modeling.
Fauci says they want to “push it to the extreme,” when it comes to mitigation measures.
Over 894,000 tests performed in the United States, according to the assistant secretary of health.
"They were happy, they were thrilled," Trump says of Governors that he spoke with yesterday, about the job he's doing.
Trump is asked about the letter he sent to governors, about classifying counties based on risk. Asked if they have enough tests to rank counties? Trump falls back on his familiar argument, blaming previous administrations for having an inadequate testing system.
Trump is asked if the April 30th date could be extended even further for social distancing rules? Trump says he hopes not. Says he would like to have lifted restrictions earlier, but they have to do it right.
Trump says we have to do a great job for the next couple of weeks -- and then the US economy needs to get moving again. Says businesses need to get going again, cites restaurants, airlines, other businesses hurting right now.
Trump is asked about previous comments about how economic impacts could end up killing Americans. Trump says you're going to have massive depression, mental depression he says, for people, you're going to have large numbers of suicides.
Trump says there will be tremendous suicides, and people will become addicted to drugs the longer the economy is at a standstill. Says it's easy to figure that. Says there will be massive drug use, massive depression, suicide.
Trump says hopefully they won't have that. Says they will hopefully have fewer than the worst case scenario modelling showing up to 2.2 million Americans could die (if there were NO mitigation measures), and the economy can get back up and running again.
Trump is asked about his comments about governors not being appreciative. Trump says he didn't say it -- and then says he wants people to be appreciative of him. And then Trump accuses the reporter of cherry picking the quote (reporter read the full quote - it was printed)
Trump says he doesn't call some governors -- but others in the administration call. Trump then repeats his argument about how there's a lack of admiration, how it's disrespectful. Now he is laying into CNN.
During a coronavirus briefing, Trump calls CNN fake news. Accuses the network of having bad ratings.
Trump says June 1st, that's when they're looking at the bottom of the hill. Says that's what they're hoping.
Trump is again asked about the ratings for his news conferences, and how some networks don't want to take them. Trump says CNN doesn't want to take them, says he helps lift up their ratings.
"We're getting the word out -- we're getting the accurate word out," Trump says. Please note these briefings often contain multiple inaccurate statements.
"We shouldn't have ratings higher than The Batchelor," notes they have Monday Night Football ratings. Says, "I think it's terrible," says when you don't want the President of the U.S. to have a voice - that's not democracy. The point is actually about getting facts to Americans.
President Trump claims people asked him about just riding it out in terms of letting the virus run its course without mitigation. "Just ride it -- ride it like a cowboy. Ride that sucker right through," Trump said he did not do that.
Dr. Fauci says communities can't be complacent -- says things tick along and then using his hands gestures cases can spike. Says there should be no comfort in lower cases because this moves quickly.
Trump says he doesn't have any symptoms, no sniffles. Says take the test if you need it, if you have the symptoms -- if you don't, don't.
Trump says he's been watching tv, seeing freezer trucks are being brought in to handle bodies in his home community of Queens New York. Says he's never seen this in his country. Says when he sees trucks pull up -- it's not supplies it's people. "I've never seen anything like it"
VP Mike Pence is speaking now -- thanks front line healthcare workers. Says they will continue to work with leaders at FEMA to make sure workers have protective equipment.
Pence says there may be a modest sense of frustration that social distancing measures are not going to be lifted soon. Says as Americans listen to local and state leaders -- they're going to hasten the day we get to the other side of this.
Trump ends with "we are all in this together," says he's "never seen anything like this," of the unity. Says it's a "beautiful thing to watch,". Says the enemy is death, it's a very unpleasant thing to go through.
