President Donald Trump speaks about the coronavirus in the James Brady Briefing Room, Thursday, March 26, 2020, in Washington, as Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Vice President Mike Pence listen. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
OAN Newsroom
UPDATED 5:42 PM PT — Thursday, March 26, 2020
President Trump has touted his administration’s continued effort to combat the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
While speaking at Thursday’s coronavirus task force briefing, the president boasted the record number of tests the U.S. has administered to Americans. He also announced FEMA will be shipping millions of necessary masks, gloves and other safety equipment across the country to further halt the spread of the virus.
LIVE: Press Briefing with Coronavirus Task Force https://t.co/Z8tK225cN6
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) March 26, 2020
President Trump went on to praise the recent historic $2 trillion stimulus package, which was passed by the Senate on Wednesday evening.
“We’re taking care of our people, this is not their fault,” he said. “We’re starting off by sending them very big checks.”
The president reiterated his eagerness to get the economy back up and running, but urged Americans to continue social distancing and to stay indoors.
FILE – This Jan. 31, 2020, file photo shows a Wall Street sign in front of the New York Stock Exchange. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)
In the face of a massive rise in unemployment claims, President Trump has also ramped up calls to reopen the U.S. economy. On Thursday, he confirmed more than 3 million Americans are now out of work due to coronavirus shutdowns.
The president stressed that’s a lot of people who want to get back to work.
“Every day that we stay out, it gets harder to bring it back very quickly, and people don’t want to stay out,” he said.
According to the president, unemployment numbers were expected to be much worse. He called for the lockdowns to end soon and suggested that the U.S. economy will have “a very fast turnaround” once the pandemic subsides.
“Well, it’s nobody’s fault, certainly not in this country,” stated President Trump. “I think you’ll see a very fast turnaround once we have a victory over the hidden enemy, as I say.”
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