{"id":98631,"date":"2020-04-05T15:16:05","date_gmt":"2020-04-05T22:16:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/69.46.6.243\/?p=98631"},"modified":"2020-04-05T15:16:05","modified_gmt":"2020-04-05T22:16:05","slug":"president-trump-vice-president-pence-and-members-of-the-coronavirus-april-4th-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=98631","title":{"rendered":"President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus April 4th Update"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;It\u2019s a busy time.\u00a0 Very busy time.\u00a0 And let me begin by again expressing our support, solidarity, and love for the people of our great country.\u00a0 We\u2019re fighting for you and we\u2019re enduring all of this together.\u00a0 And we will soon prevail together.\u00a0 We\u2019re making a lot of progress.  We appreciate all of the great assistance from the governors and people within the states.\u00a0 The relationships have been, really, very good.\u00a0 I spoke with Governor Cuomo.\u00a0 We\u2019re working very hard to get additional things to New York as quickly as possible.<\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/mntBUWX3gi0\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>We \u2014 as you know, we took care of the hospital, including personnel \u2014 the 2,500 beds that we build just recently at Javits, including personnel.\u00a0 And we opened it up to COVID, and that\u2019s something that we also did in Louisiana, and we\u2019re doing it in Dallas.<\/p>\n<p>So we have a lot of not only hospitals being built, but now we\u2019re manning the hospitals because states are, in many cases, unable to get additional people to work.\u00a0 It\u2019s \u2014 it\u2019s just an incredible situation.\u00a0 There\u2019s never been anything like this.<\/p>\n<p>One of the most important issues in battling this pandemic is coordinating the delivery of the crucial supplies throughout the nation based upon the most accurate information available.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve got the best healthcare and disaster experts anywhere in the world, and everybody will tell you that, and we\u2019re dealing with big parts of the world on helping them also through this horrible situation where 151 \u2014 still, 151 nations are going through it.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re working to ensure that the supplies are delivered where and when they\u2019re needed, and in some cases, we\u2019re telling governors we can\u2019t go there because we don\u2019t think you need it and we think someplace else needs it.\u00a0 And pretty much, so far, we\u2019ve been right about that.\u00a0 And we\u2019ll continue to do it.<\/p>\n<p>As it really gets \u2014 this will be probably the toughest week between this week and next week.\u00a0 And there\u2019ll be a lot of death, unfortunately, but a lot less death than if this wasn\u2019t done.\u00a0 But there will be death.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re looking for an obvious focus in the hardest-hit regions.\u00a0 Some of them are obvious and some aren\u2019t so obvious.\u00a0 They spring up.\u00a0 They come and they \u2014 they hit you like you got hit by a club, an area that wasn\u2019t at all bothered.\u00a0 You look at what\u2019s going on in New Jersey \u2014 the governor is doing an excellent job, by the way \u2014 but how that sprang up.<\/p>\n<p>Every decision that we\u2019re making is made to save lives.\u00a0 It\u2019s really our sole consideration.\u00a0 We want to save lives.\u00a0 We want as few lives lost as possible.\u00a0 It\u2019s therefore critical that certain media outlets stop spreading false rumors and creating fear and even panic with the public.\u00a0 It\u2019s just incredible.\u00a0 I could name them, but it\u2019s the same ones.\u00a0 Always the same ones.\u00a0 I guess they\u2019re looking for ratings.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what they\u2019re looking for.\u00a0 So bad for our country and so bad \u2014 the people understand it.\u00a0 You look at the levels and approval ratings, and they\u2019re the lowest they\u2019ve ever been for media. \u00a0It\u2019s so bad for \u2014 for our country.\u00a0 So bad for the world.\u00a0 You ought to put it together for a little while, get this over with, and then go back to your fake news.<\/p>\n<p>During a national emergency, it\u2019s just essential that the federal decision makers cut through the fog of confusion in order to follow the facts and the science.\u00a0 Many hospital administrators that we\u2019ve been in touch with, even in the really hotspots \u2014 you know what they are \u2014 are communicating directly with us that their level of supplies are meeting essential needs.\u00a0 And at the current time, they\u2019re really thrilled to be where they are.\u00a0 Whenever local shortages are reported, we\u2019re asking states to immediately meet the demand.\u00a0 And we\u2019re stockpiling large amounts in different areas \u2014 in different areas.\u00a0 And we\u2019re going to be discussing that in a little while.<\/p>\n<p>But we want distributions to be made on a fair basis.\u00a0 We have to take care of a large country, not just certain areas of the country.\u00a0 But no matter where we\u2019re \u2014 we\u2019ve been there and we\u2019ve been there very strongly.\u00a0 I want to thank FEMA.\u00a0 I want to thank the Army Corps of Engineers.\u00a0 I want to thank our military for what they\u2019re doing.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re going to be adding a tremendous amount of military to help supplement the states \u2014 thousands of soldiers, thousands of medical workers, professionals, nurses, doctors.\u00a0 And it\u2019ll be a large number.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be \u2014 we\u2019ll be telling them over the next very short period where they\u2019re going.\u00a0 And they\u2019re going into war.\u00a0 They\u2019re going into a battle that they\u2019ve never really trained for.\u00a0 Nobody has trained for this; nobody has seen this, I would say, since 1917, which was the greatest of them all.\u00a0 The greatest of this type of battle.\u00a0 Probably the greatest of them all. Right?\u00a0 1917.\u00a0 Up to 100 million people were killed.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, we\u2019re working directly with hospitals and existing suppliers and distributors to ensure that those with the greatest need are prioritized.\u00a0 And that need changes.\u00a0 One day it\u2019s one state or one locale, one city.\u00a0 And then all of a sudden, they\u2019re starting to do well.\u00a0 We had some very good reports coming out of the State of Washington, coming out of various parts of California \u2014 so, areas that we were getting ready to really hit hard.\u00a0 We can now go to other areas.<\/p>\n<p>It looks like New York is going to be hit very hard.\u00a0 And Louisiana is just amazing the way it just sprang up.\u00a0 And everyone is doing a good job but they\u2019re going to be hit hard.<\/p>\n<p>Areas in the country that are not experiencing large-scale infections are requesting supplies beyond what their present circumstances require.\u00a0 And we talk to them and we tell them and we explain it, and for the most part they\u2019re good with it.\u00a0 We think we\u2019re right.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s very understandable that officials would seek to get the most they can get for their communities, but the fears of the shortages have led to inflated requests.\u00a0 We have some states and areas where they\u2019re just asking for far more.\u00a0 I mean, look, we had one state asking for 40,000 ventilators.\u00a0 Forty thousand.\u00a0 Think of it: 40,000.\u00a0 It\u2019s not possible.\u00a0 They won\u2019t need that many, and now they\u2019re admitting they don\u2019t need that many.\u00a0 But we\u2019re getting as many as we can to them.<\/p>\n<p>Again, nobody has ever seen anything like this in terms of ventilators, in terms of protective equipment and uniforms and outfits.\u00a0 But it makes it more difficult for distributors to prioritize the real need, and it could intentionally and, you know \u2014 look, they \u2014 everybody has proper intentions but they want to make sure they\u2019re 100 percent.\u00a0 And sometimes, when they know they don\u2019t need it, they want it anyway.\u00a0 It gives them that extra feeling of satisfaction, but we just can\u2019t do that.\u00a0 It\u2019s not even possible to think about it.<\/p>\n<p>And that\u2019s why \u2014 and we\u2019re a backup.\u00a0 Remember, we\u2019re a backup.\u00a0 We\u2019re the greatest backup that ever existed for the states, especially when we start getting into the hospital building business and getting into the medical center building business, where you see we built many hospitals \u2014 numerous hospitals in some states \u2014 and medical centers.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s why my administration has been requesting actual usage numbers directly from the states and hospitals to meet their needs, because we want to be ready when \u2014 when the brunt of it comes, which is coming quickly; you see it.\u00a0 You see it as sure as you can see it.\u00a0 And when the brunt of it comes, we want to be ready to hit the area that needs it.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to have spent everything in one area, and they don\u2019t need it there to anywhere near the extent.<\/p>\n<p>So let me be extremely clear about one point: We will move heaven and earth to safeguard our great American citizens.\u00a0 We will continue to use every power, every authority, every single resource we\u2019ve got to keep our people healthy, safe, secure, and to get this thing over with.\u00a0 We want to finish this war.\u00a0 We have to get back to work.\u00a0 We have to get \u2014 we have to open our country again.\u00a0 We have to open our country again.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to be doing this for months and months and months.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to open our country again.\u00a0 This country wasn\u2019t meant for this.\u00a0 Few were.\u00a0 Few were.\u00a0 But we have to open our country again.<\/p>\n<p>I just spoke with the commissioners, leaders of, I would say, virtually all of the sports leagues: Rob Manfred, Commissioner of Baseball, Major League Baseball; Roger Goodell Commissioner of the National Football League; Adam Silver Commissioner of the National Basketball Association; Gary Bettman, Commissioner of the National Hockey League; Jay Monahan, Commissioner of the PGA Tour; Cathy Engelbert, Commissioner of the Women\u2019s National Basketball Association; Dana White, the Ultimate Fighting Championship; Vince McMahon President of the WWE; Don Garber, Commissioner of Major League Soccer; Steve Phelps, President of NASCAR; Michael Whan, Commissioner of the LPGA; Roger Penske, Founder and Chairman Penske Corp.; and Drew Fleming, President of the Breeders\u2019 Cup.<\/p>\n<p>And there were a couple of others on, and these are all the great leaders of sport.\u00a0 And they want to get back.\u00a0 They got to get back.\u00a0 They can\u2019t do this.\u00a0 Their sports weren\u2019t designed for it.\u00a0 The whole concept of our nation wasn\u2019t designed for it.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to have to get back.\u00a0 We want to get back soon \u2014 very soon.<\/p>\n<p>For example \u2014 and I have to say, we\u2019re using the Defense Production Act very powerfully.\u00a0 In some cas- \u2014 times directly; in many cases, indirectly.\u00a0 Just the threat of it is usually enough.<\/p>\n<p>But FEMA and HHS have ordered 180 million \u2014 think of that \u2014 180 million.\u00a0 Who ever heard of 180 million N95 masks?\u00a0 And we\u2019re working now with 3M to see whether or not that all works out, but we want them to help our country.\u00a0 And I think it\u2019s going to be okay.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to soon let you know.\u00a0 But we need the masks.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want other people getting it, and that\u2019s why we\u2019re \u2014 that\u2019s why we\u2019re instituting a lot of Defense Production Act, you could call it, retaliations because that\u2019s what it is; it\u2019s a retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>If people don\u2019t \u2014 if people don\u2019t give us what we need for our people, we\u2019re going to be very tough, and we\u2019ve been very tough.\u00a0 Usually we don\u2019t have to use it, but we\u2019ve used it plenty.\u00a0 It\u2019s turning out more and more, unfortunately.\u00a0 And it works very well.<\/p>\n<p>Our Supply Chain Logistics Task Force, led by Admiral John Polowczyk, who\u2019s doing a fantastic job, will ensure they\u2019re distributed to the healthcare and critical infrastructure workers in the areas with the most pressing requirements.\u00a0 That\u2019s the 60 million masks that we\u2019re talking about and the hundred and \u2014 180 million N95 masks.\u00a0 A hundred and eighty million.\u00a0 Who ever heard of 180 million masks?<\/p>\n<p>And this is a incredible thing.\u00a0 A lot of times \u2014 and we have to stop playing this game \u2014 if a governor wants 200 ventilators, and I say, \u201cNo, we\u2019re going to send you 1,000.\u00a0 We think you need more than 200,\u201d and then the media meets with the governor and they say, \u201cOh, you got more.\u00a0 Well, it\u2019s not enough.\u00a0 The President should have sent more.\u201d\u00a0 So he\u2019s asking for 200.\u00a0 We give him 1,000.\u00a0 They say, \u201cHow\u2019s the President doing?\u201d\u00a0 \u201cHe should have given more.\u201d\u00a0 Because that\u2019s politics.\u00a0 That\u2019s politics.\u00a0 And that\u2019s unfortunate, because we can\u2019t play that game.<\/p>\n<p>And, you know, that\u2019s one party doing it, and the other party is happy.\u00a0 But they\u2019re all really happy because they should have been doing this work themselves for a long period of time.\u00a0 Many of their cupboards were bare.<\/p>\n<p>With respect to the ventilators, FEMA and HHS continue to monitor the data on an hourly basis where provided by the states.\u00a0 In order to most effectively target the distribution of supplies, we\u2019ve been asking states to provide us with daily updates on the number of ventilators and their utilization rates, because some states have more ventilators than they need.\u00a0 They don\u2019t even like to admit it.\u00a0 They\u2019ll admit it when everything is over, but that\u2019s \u2014 it doesn\u2019t help us very much.<\/p>\n<p>This data is vitally necessary so that we can ensure ventilators are getting to the right place at the right time.\u00a0 FEMA, HHS, DOD are developing resources within the next 24 hours.\u00a0 They will have a whole different set of criteria.\u00a0 Every day, it\u2019s different criteria.\u00a0 Every day, this horrible, invisible enemy changes a course.\u00a0 It changes course.<\/p>\n<p>If you were fighting the normal fight, you\u2019d know what\u2019s happening.\u00a0 Here is: They hit one, they hit another, they hit another state.\u00a0 They hit areas that you didn\u2019t expect.\u00a0 But we\u2019re watching it and we\u2019re capturing it.<\/p>\n<p>Our goal is to stay several days ahead of the needs in each state, but we can only do that if the cities and states utilize real-time local knowledge to provide timely and precise data about actual usage.\u00a0 So we have to be able to do that.\u00a0 And if a state has ventilators, as an example, that they know they\u2019re not going to need, they should give them over and we should move them with the other ones.\u00a0 We have now 10,000 in our pipeline, and stockpiled 10,000 \u2014 close.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re moving some into New York, so we\u2019re going to need some additional.\u00a0 We\u2019re moving some into New York City and state, separately.\u00a0 And we\u2019re bringing them to the point where they\u2019ll need them.<\/p>\n<p>I can also report that, at my direction, 1,000 military personnel are deploying to New York City to assist where they\u2019re needed the most.\u00a0 That\u2019s the hottest of all the hotspots.\u00a0 New Jersey is right there.\u00a0 It\u2019s right next to it.\u00a0 And I don\u2019t know if that\u2019s overflow, but New Jersey is \u2014 it\u2019s a great state and it\u2019s a very \u2014 it\u2019s a crowded state also, where you have people on top of people.\u00a0 It\u2019s always tough.\u00a0 But we\u2019re bringing some of the ventilators.\u00a0 We got some for New Jersey just yesterday, and we\u2019re going to bring them some more, including doctors.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re getting doctors, nurses, respiratory specialists, and other support workers.\u00a0 These are from the military.\u00a0 We\u2019re taking people now out of our military.\u00a0 We\u2019ve been doing it, but now we\u2019re doing it on a larger basis.\u00a0 And I want to thank Secretary of Defense Esper, who will detail some of what we\u2019re doing, tomorrow and Monday.<\/p>\n<p>As the situation in Washington State continues to stabilize, we\u2019re returning a 300-bed federal medical station to a different location \u2014 so where we need it.\u00a0 And we appreciate that.\u00a0 They won\u2019t be needing it, and we appreciate them letting us know.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to move it to a different location.\u00a0 It was already built.<\/p>\n<p>Many governors initially made large requests for federal support for their states in anticipation of a greater number of cases, but the residents of Washington State have done a really good job of following the federal distancing guidelines.\u00a0 They really have.<\/p>\n<p>I\u2019m also pleased to report that Oregon will be spending and sending \u2014 they\u2019re spending a lot of money because they really did stockpile well, and they\u2019re also sending 140 ventilators directly to New York, which we appreciate.<\/p>\n<p>And I want to thank the Vice President for the great work he\u2019s doing every day, dealing with our nation\u2019s governors.\u00a0 Mike Pence has been working day and night on this, and we want to get it over.\u00a0 He\u2019s got to get a little more sleep than he\u2019s getting.\u00a0 He hasn\u2019t been getting very much, I will tell you that.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re all in this together, and it\u2019s a beautiful thing to see how people are joining forces to help one another.\u00a0 They really are.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to our courageous doctors, nurses, and healthcare workers, I also want to thank the incredible food supply workers who are feeding our nation.\u00a0 I spoke just a little while ago to Senator Boozman.\u00a0 You know Senator Boozman; we all do.\u00a0 He\u2019s a great senator.\u00a0 He\u2019s a great person.\u00a0 We spoke just this morning, and we discussed how important it is to keep our farmers and ranchers, processors, and distributors in our nation\u2019s prayers.\u00a0 And I want to thank the senator for the incredible job he\u2019s been doing.\u00a0 And a lot of the senators and congressmen and everyone \u2014 everybody is working very hard.<\/p>\n<p>My administration is working very aggressively to pioneer new medical countermeasures to treat and prevent infection.\u00a0 Working on a lot of things.\u00a0 We must utilize our nation\u2019s scientific brilliance to vanquish the virus.\u00a0 We have to vanquish the virus as quickly as we can, because we have a lot of things happening in this country, and we have a great future, but we have to get back to work.<\/p>\n<p>This week, the FDA established the Coronavirus Treatment Accelerator Program, which is expediting the development of new anti- \u2014 antiviral and other therapies, and they\u2019re doing it on a very rapid basis.\u00a0 And I think we\u2019re having some very good results.\u00a0 We\u2019ll tell you about that.<\/p>\n<p>HHS continues to speed the development of therapies derived from human blood that have the potential to lessen the severity or shorten the length of the illness.\u00a0 And as you know, last Saturday, the FDA also gave emergency authorization for hydroxychloroquine.\u00a0 And the hydroxychloroquine is a \u2014 I hope it\u2019s going to be a very important answer.\u00a0 We\u2019re having some very good things happening with it, and we\u2019re going to be distributing it through the Strategic National Stockpile.\u00a0 It\u2019s going into the Strategic National Stockpile to treat certain patients.\u00a0 And we have millions and millions of doses of it; 29 million to be exact.<\/p>\n<p>In addition to that, we\u2019re making it and we\u2019re also getting it from various other locations and countries.\u00a0 In one case, I called Prime Minister Modi of India this morning.\u00a0 They make large amounts of hydroxychloroquine \u2014 very large amounts, frankly.\u00a0 And I said \u2014 they had a hold, because, you know, they have 1.5. billion people, and they think a lot of it.\u00a0 And I said I\u2019d appreciate it if they would release the amounts that we ordered.\u00a0 And they are giving it serious consideration.\u00a0 But they do make \u2014 India makes a lot of it.<\/p>\n<p>But we have already 29 million.\u00a0 If you look \u2014 I mean, that\u2019s a big number.\u00a0 Twenty-nine million doses.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve got millions of doses that are being made here and many millions of doses that are made elsewhere that are being shipped here, and it will be arriving.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re just hearing really positive stories, and we\u2019re continuing to collect the data.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll just speak for myself: It\u2019s been out for a long time. \u00a0It\u2019s a malaria drug.\u00a0 It\u2019s also a drug for lupus.\u00a0 And there\u2019s a \u2014 there\u2019s a study out that people with lupus aren\u2019t catching this horrible virus.\u00a0 They\u2019re not \u2014 they\u2019re not affected so much by it.\u00a0 Now, maybe that\u2019s correct; maybe it\u2019s false.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to have to check it out.<\/p>\n<p>But there\u2019s a lot of very positive things happening with that.\u00a0 That\u2019s a game changer if that\u2019s the case.\u00a0 Obviously, we continue to work on the vaccines, but the vaccines have to be down the road by probably 14, 15, 16 months.\u00a0 We\u2019re doing great on the vaccines.\u00a0 I think Johnson &amp; Johnson is leading \u2014 seems to be leading in terms of the studies, but we\u2019ll see what happens.\u00a0 But I feel good about that, but that\u2019s down the road.<\/p>\n<p>But tremendous promise with \u2014 with what\u2019s just been mentioned.\u00a0 In addition to that, Gilead Sciences has initiated a phase three that\u2019s down the line, meaning clinical studies of the drug remdesivir.\u00a0 Now, it\u2019s approximately 1,000 patients, which is a pretty \u2014 pretty good study.\u00a0 Other drugs are also being studied in patients.<\/p>\n<p>And this week, Oracle, a great company, donated a new web portal \u2014 Larry Ellison, amazing guy \u2014 and platform to the government to gather real-time data on how patients are responding to the various new treatments.\u00a0 And they have a very sophisticated site, we\u2019ll be learning a lot from Oracle.\u00a0 And thank you to them.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019re also spending economic dollars like you wouldn\u2019t believe, and speeding economic relief to American workers, families, and businesses.\u00a0 Yesterday, the Small Business Administration launched the Paycheck Protection Program to help employees keep paying their workers.\u00a0 In 24 hours, the Small Business Administration, and over 1,200 lending partners, processed over 28,000 loans \u2014 it\u2019s, so far, ahead of schedule \u2014 and billions and billions of dollars.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s worked out incredibly well, and I want to thank Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase, and a lot of the big banks that have been involved, and a lot of the community banks.\u00a0 Community banks have really jumped on it.\u00a0 And it\u2019s, so far, going way ahead of schedule.<\/p>\n<p>The SBA also clarified that faith-based organizations, including houses of worship, are eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program \u2014 that\u2019s great \u2014 as well as the Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program that you\u2019re familiar with, on the same terms as every other applicant.<\/p>\n<p>If we run out of funding for the employee retention program, I will immediately ask Congress for more money.\u00a0 This is money that\u2019s really going directly to the people that need it \u2014 the small businesses that need it and the workers that need it.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, I can \u2014 because when we open, we want to open strong, with businesses that are going.\u00a0 Remember, we had the greatest economy in the world, and then one day, we were told we got to shut it down, stop it, tell everyone to stay home, because of this horrible virus.\u00a0 And we did that, and we did the right thing.\u00a0 But now we have to open.\u00a0 We have to open our country.<\/p>\n<p>Finally, I can report that as of today, the State Department has successfully coordinated the safe return of more than 40,000 Americans stuck abroad on over 400 flights from 75 countries.\u00a0 Many of those countries were terrific in helping us, and I appreciate that very much.<\/p>\n<p>Some of them, I had to call the leaders of the country, most of whom I know.\u00a0 And once I did, they snapped, like you wouldn\u2019t believe.\u00a0 They really helped us great.\u00a0 So I appreciate that.\u00a0 So we brought back 40,000 Americans who were literally stuck in some countries, with no chance of getting out, and we got them back.\u00a0 Four hundred flights, seventy-five countries.\u00a0\u00a0 Think of that.\u00a0 And those countries, in almost every instance, had a big problem with the virus.<\/p>\n<p>I want to thank the American people, most of all, for the selfless sacrifices that they\u2019re making for our nation.\u00a0 I know it\u2019s not pleasant, although some people have said they\u2019ve gotten to know their family better, and they love their family more than ever, and that\u2019s a beautiful thing.\u00a0 They\u2019ve actually gotten to know them.\u00a0 They\u2019re in the same house with their family for a long time.\u00a0 I guess it can also work the other way, perhaps, but we don\u2019t want to talk about that.<\/p>\n<p>And I want to encourage everyone to keep following our guidelines on slowing the spread.\u00a0 Sustaining this war effort is \u2014 and that\u2019s what it is; this is a war effort \u2014 is the patriotic duty of every citizen.\u00a0 While we may be more physically distant for a time, we\u2019re closer together in the heart and in the spirit.<\/p>\n<p>And through this, great national unity is happening.\u00a0 We\u2019re having a great unity developing that a lot of people didn\u2019t think would be possible to develop like this.<\/p>\n<p>And we will conquer the disease and restore our nation to its full and glorious might.\u00a0 We\u2019re doing really well, and I\u2019m very proud of everybody out there.\u00a0 We\u2019re very proud of you.\u00a0 It\u2019s something that nobody could have ever projected.\u00a0 It\u2019s been over 100 years that a thing like this has happened.<\/p>\n<p>And the problem with this one is the contagion.\u00a0 It\u2019s so contagious.\u00a0 Nobody has ever seen anything like that where it\u2019s so contagious.\u00a0 You can be feet away and just talking to somebody and catch it.\u00a0 You can catch it.\u00a0 You know how long it can live on surfaces.\u00a0 So things that nobody even thought of, the level of contagion.<\/p>\n<p>So, we\u2019re getting there.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to make sure that it\u2019s over soon.\u00a0 And just keep going.\u00a0 It\u2019s not going to be long.<\/p>\n<p>And thank you very much.\u00a0 And with that, I\u2019d like to ask Dr. Hahn to speak.\u00a0 And he\u2019s been doing yeoman\u2019s work at the FDA.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you very much.\u00a0 Doctor, thank you.<\/p>\n<p>DR. HAHN:\u00a0 Thank you, Mr. President.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to speak about hydroxychloroquine and the efforts around that.\u00a0 Just to preface, I\u2019d like to echo what the President said about the American people and the resiliency and the just terrific work.\u00a0 Mitigation is such an important part of our fight against the COVID-19 virus.<\/p>\n<p>Last week, as the President said, we issued an emergency use authorization to allow the donated hydroxychloroquine to come into the country and enter the general circulation.\u00a0 We are prioritizing this drug to come in for clinical trials, and also into general use for physicians, because as you know, physicians, based upon their interaction with the patients, their assessment of the risks and benefits can write a prescription for hydroxychloroquine if they think it\u2019s appropriate for the patient.\u00a0 Being a physician, we do this all the time.\u00a0 And that assessment needs to be done between a patient and a doctor.<\/p>\n<p>And then the third portion is we wanted to make sure that these drugs were in the circulation \u2014 in the supply chain, so that people who have them or need them for the other indications \u2014 lupus, rheumatoid arthritis \u2014 had them available.\u00a0 So that was the purpose of the emergency use authorization.<\/p>\n<p>One other thing I\u2019d like to mention is that we, on Friday, stood up a formal convalescent plasma program.\u00a0 We have a great deal of enthusiasm for that.\u00a0 There are some reports that this is a benefit to patients in other countries who have had the COVID-19 virus.<\/p>\n<p>And what this means is taking plasma from patients who have had the virus and who have recovered, and transferring the immunity \u2014 the immunoglobulins, if you will \u2014 the immunity from that person to someone who\u2019s sick.\u00a0 And we\u2019re hopefully expanding that across the country.\u00a0 The Red Cross is involved in that program.\u00a0 And I think it shows a great promise.\u00a0 It needs to be studied like other things.\u00a0 But just like I said before, it provides hope.\u00a0 We don\u2019t want to provide false hope, but definitely hope.<\/p>\n<p>Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Tony, please.<\/p>\n<p>MR. FAUCI:\u00a0 Thank you very much, Mr. President.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to just take a couple of moments to talk a little bit about the public health aspects and how it relates to what the President just said about the need for us to begin to at least think about returning to some degree of normality.\u00a0 And that has to do with what\u2019s going to be happening as we end this week and we go into next week.<\/p>\n<p>You will be seeing \u2014 and we should not be surprised because the kinetics of how this virus works \u2014 is that we\u2019re going to be seeing that there are going to be deaths that are going to continue to go up.\u00a0 But as I mentioned to this group and to the general public multiple times, there really is a cascading of events where you have new cases, hospitalizations, intensive care, and deaths.\u00a0 So at the same time that we may be seeing an increase in deaths, we want to focus on the effective mitigation is really the number of new cases.\u00a0 And that\u2019s what we\u2019re going to be thinking about and looking about.<\/p>\n<p>So we\u2019re going to pay close attention to that, and hopefully the kinds of mitigations that we\u2019re talking about are going to have the impact to allow us to begin to think about maybe changing a bit.<\/p>\n<p>So the question arises is: Is the mitigation working?\u00a0 So let\u2019s look historically and then just look at the reality of it.\u00a0 Clearly, in the countries \u2014 China included \u2014 that have implemented very strict kinds of programs of mitigation, clearly it works.\u00a0 In our own country, we\u2019ve seen indication of that in Washington.\u00a0 Remember, Washington State was the first to get hit.\u00a0 But they put in a really good program of mitigation.\u00a0 And if you look at the charts that Dr. Birx showed the other day, they\u2019re still down, they\u2019re doing well.<\/p>\n<p>And the reason is \u2014 again, what I\u2019ve said before, but I think it\u2019s worth reiterating \u2014 that we have two opposing forces here: the virus, which wants to do what the virus wants to do.\u00a0 Viruses transmit from people to people.\u00a0 When people are separated from each other, virus does not transmit; it doesn\u2019t go anywhere.\u00a0 And that\u2019s the reason why something as simple as the physical separation \u2014 because if you look at the Vice President\u2019s chart that he shows all the time here from this podium, every aspect of that, ending the COVID outbreak in 30 days, has some aspect of it, a physical separation \u2014 whether that\u2019s avoiding crowds, whether that staying six feet away from people, whether that\u2019s doing teleworking.\u00a0 All of it does that.\u00a0 That\u2019s our most important tool.\u00a0 We\u2019ll be talking about vaccines and drugs and things like that that will mitigate later.\u00a0 But this is what we really have to do.<\/p>\n<p>And I want to \u2014 I want to actually just plea, as I do multiple times from here, to the American public: You know, as sobering and as difficult as this is, what we are doing is making a difference.\u00a0 So we really need to continue to do that.<\/p>\n<p>I must tell you, I was just mentioning to the Vice President as we came in: Last night, when I wasn\u2019t here, I went out with my wife and actually did a little powerwalking down Massachusetts Avenue \u2014 for those who live in Washington, know what I\u2019m talking about \u2014 and we passed a couple of restaurants where people were getting takeout food.\u00a0 The restaurants were closed to people going in, but they were open to takeout.<\/p>\n<p>And I saw something that absolutely made me feel really, really good.\u00a0 They were separating themselves by at least six feet.\u00a0 In fact, some of the restaurants had little things on the floor that said, \u201cStand here\u201d and then \u201cStand there.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And I think if we as a nation pulled together to do that, hopefully when we keep coming back here at these press conferences, we\u2019ll be able to show you that that curve that we keep talking about is going in the right direction.<\/p>\n<p>And I\u2019d be happy to answer questions later.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Okay, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, you said earlier that the virus is springing up in areas you did not expect.\u00a0 Yesterday you said some states in the country are not in jeopardy.\u00a0 The fact that this is unpredictable, isn\u2019t that an argument for every state to have one of these stay-at-home orders?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I don\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Look, there are some states that are \u2014 you have great distance, natural distance.\u00a0 Big land, few people. And they\u2019re in very good shape.\u00a0 And if there is a case, they can quarantine that person, or that person will be separated, will be brought to a hospital, a secure area.<\/p>\n<p>So you do have different cases as opposed to a New York or Los Angeles.\u00a0 Los Angeles is doing incredibly well, by the way.\u00a0 But areas we have lots of people tight together.\u00a0 It\u2019s a big difference.<\/p>\n<p>So, no, it\u2019s \u2014 they\u2019re different \u2014 there are many different cases.<\/p>\n<p>Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, You mentioned the military off at the top.\u00a0 So 1,000 troops going to New York, and then are we expecting other mass deployments around the country?\u00a0 And then is it just Army?\u00a0 Is it \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No, not mass.\u00a0 Many of the places are really in great shape.\u00a0 They really have done a fantastic job.\u00a0 And we may add to the thousand.\u00a0 But New York will be getting about 1,000 military people \u2014 nurses, doctors, lots of other people \u2014 because that\u2019s what they need.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So medical military?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Not \u2014 like not combat \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And that\u2019s \u2014 medical.\u00a0 No, no, medical military.\u00a0 Medical military.<\/p>\n<p>Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sir, you tweeted earlier today that you like the idea of a second coronavirus task force that was focused on reopening the economy.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thinking about it.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So I was wondering if you were planning to go forward with that.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Thinking about it.\u00a0 Getting a group of people.\u00a0 And we have to open our country.\u00a0 You know, I had an expression: \u201cThe cure can\u2019t be worse than the problem itself.\u201d Right?\u00a0 I started by saying that and I continue to say it: The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.\u00a0 We\u2019ve got to get our country open.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, in terms of reopening, can you talk about your call with the sports commissioners?\u00a0 Did you say you\u2019d like to see people back, fans back in arenas as soon as August?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Absolutely, I want \u2014 I want fans back in the arenas.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 By August, though, sir?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I think it\u2019s \u2014 I think it\u2019s \u2014 no.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is that safe?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Whenever we\u2019re ready.\u00a0 I mean, as soon as we can, obviously.\u00a0 And the fans want to be back too.\u00a0 You know, they want to see basketball and baseball and football and hockey.\u00a0 They want to see their sports.\u00a0 They want to go out onto the golf courses and breathe nice, clean, beautiful fresh air.\u00a0 No, the \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 When do you think that people can be back, based on the science that you\u2019re seeing?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I can\u2019t tell you \u2014 I can\u2019t tell you a date, but I think it\u2019s going to be sooner rather than later.<\/p>\n<p>But \u2014 and, you know, we\u2019re not going to have to have separation for the rest of our times on the planet.\u00a0 We need it for this period of time.\u00a0 But eventually people are going to be able to occupy those seats and arenas, next to each other, like we have for all of my life and all of your life.\u00a0 They want to sit next to each other at restaurants.\u00a0 They don\u2019t want to be, you know, six feet away.<\/p>\n<p>And some restaurant man called up, and he said, \u201cYou know, I\u2019m worried because I have a small restaurant with not too many seats.\u201d\u00a0 I think he said 120.\u00a0 And he said, \u201cIf I practice what this is, I\u2019m down to 30 seats.\u00a0 I can\u2019t make it.\u201d\u00a0 I said, \u201cDon\u2019t worry about it.\u00a0 That\u2019s for a short period of time. You\u2019ll be back to your number of seats.\u201d\u00a0 We can\u2019t do that.\u00a0 Otherwise, you\u2019re making everything \u2014 that means your stadium is half the size of what it was a month ago.<\/p>\n<p>No, no, they\u2019re going to be close together, but they\u2019re going to be breathing air that\u2019s not infected, that\u2019s not going to kill people.<\/p>\n<p>Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Since you\u2019re not committing to packing the stadiums by August, what are your contingency plans \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, I\u2019m not committing to it.\u00a0 I\u2019m not committing to it.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to see where we are.\u00a0 That\u2019d be great if we could.\u00a0 But we\u2019re going to be back to good health soon, in my opinion.\u00a0 We\u2019re making a lot of progress, and we\u2019re making progress because, as Tony told the story about the restaurant and about how they were separated sort of automatically, people are doing that.\u00a0 People are doing that.\u00a0 They\u2019re staying in their homes.\u00a0 They don\u2019t want to go out.\u00a0 They\u2019re doing what they know is the right thing to do.\u00a0 It\u2019s \u2014 it\u2019s not very complicated.\u00a0 It\u2019s \u2014 in many ways, it\u2019s a very beautiful thing to see.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But what are your contingency plans for the Republican National Convention?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We have no contingency plan.\u00a0 We\u2019re having the convention at the end of August, and we think by the end of August, we\u2019ll be in good shape.\u00a0 We have no contingen- \u2014 you know, it\u2019s going to be in North Carolina, as you know, in Charlotte.\u00a0 And I think we\u2019re going to have a great convention.<\/p>\n<p>I notice \u2014 I think we had an opponent, but I \u2014 I almost didn\u2019t know who it was.\u00a0 He got .00001 percent of the vote.\u00a0 But I heard he dropped out three or four weeks ago.\u00a0 I\u2019m not sure.\u00a0 Maybe you could tell me.\u00a0 That\u2019s the kind of opponent I had.\u00a0 And hopefully we have another one just like that in Joe.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, this weekend, lawmakers are working on the next round release packages.\u00a0 What was not in the stimulus package that you signed last week that you would like to see in phase four?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, I think we\u2019re going to need more money for the small businesses.\u00a0 It\u2019s been working out so well.\u00a0 It\u2019s been so efficient.\u00a0 The banks have been doing an incredible job.\u00a0 I think we\u2019re going to need more money there, I think.\u00a0 You know, we\u2019ll see.\u00a0 But based on the first \u2014 the first couple of days, it\u2019s been incredible.<\/p>\n<p>I think that restaurants and entertainment \u2014 and that would be \u2014 include sports leagues, all forms of entertainment \u2014 go back to the original, where they get tax deductibility for what they\u2019re doing and for people who come in and buy tickets or go out for meals.\u00a0 And corporations can then send people into these restaurants who are going to have a hard time, otherwise, opening, in my opinion.\u00a0 And that could be the same for the sports leagues.<\/p>\n<p>So we want to see, for entertainment and for restaurants, deductibility so that corporations can take a deduction.\u00a0 They\u2019ll send their executives, they\u2019ll send people there, and they get a deduction.\u00a0 That is something that will really bring life back to the restaurants; I think make them hotter than before.<\/p>\n<p>You know, they used to have it.\u00a0 And when they ended it, it was really never the same.\u00a0 It was never the same.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, you just said that you want to see as few lives lost as possible in this pandemic.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 That\u2019s right.\u00a0 That\u2019s right.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But there are still eight governors, all Republicans, who have refused to issue these statewide stay-at-home orders.\u00a0 Your own experts, including Dr. Fauci, have said stay-at-home orders are the most effective way to stop the spread of this virus.\u00a0 So why not do everything possible \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, Tennessee just did it.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 and urge those governors right now \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 to do that?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We have a thing called the Constitution, which I cherish, number one.\u00a0 Number two, those governors \u2014 I know every one of them \u2014 they\u2019re doing a great job.\u00a0 They\u2019re being very, very successful in what they\u2019re doing.\u00a0 And as you know, I want the governors to be running things.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in some cases, we\u2019ll supersede, but in this case it\u2019s not \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Do you think they should, though?\u00a0 Do you think they should?\u00a0 I\u2019m not asking for you to order them to, but \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I think it depends \u2014 it depends on the individual state that you\u2019re talking about.\u00a0 But they\u2019re doing very well, and they\u2019re doing a magnificent job in running their states.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Well, South Carolina has 1,700 cases right now of coronavirus.\u00a0 Utah has 1,255. \u00a0I mean, are these not states that you think should have those stay-at-home orders in place?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No, I think they\u2019re doing a great job.<\/p>\n<p>Well, that\u2019s a very small number relative to population.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s larger than some states that do have stay-at -home orders that are already in place.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 That\u2019s okay.\u00a0 It\u2019s up to the \u2014 if I saw something wrong, I saw a massive breakout \u2014 of which that\u2019s not \u2014 I would come down very hard.\u00a0 But \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Isn\u2019t the key in this pandemic getting ahead of those numbers, though?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No, not in that case.\u00a0 But in the case \u2014 I know the states you\u2019re talking about.\u00a0 By the way, I think you\u2019re up to 92 percent is covered.\u00a0 Ninety-two percent of the country is covered.\u00a0 And from a constitutional standpoint, they made the difference.\u00a0 They called the shots.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, Jeff.\u00a0 Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, just a question about messaging.\u00a0 You and the others here are saying people need to continue following the mitigation efforts, but you\u2019re also saying, again, the cure must not be worse than the problem.\u00a0 Which is it?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No, I\u2019m just saying we have to get this country open, Jeff.\u00a0 It has to get open.\u00a0 This country was not designed to be closed.\u00a0 So we have the greatest we\u2019ve ever had, and then we\u2019re paying people to stay home.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But you want it to be closed right now, right?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Think of it: We\u2019re paying people not to go to work.\u00a0 How about that?\u00a0 How does that play?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I understand that.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And they want to go to work, by the way.\u00a0 They don\u2019t even want \u2014 they don\u2019t want money.\u00a0 This country is great.\u00a0 But we\u2019re paying people.\u00a0 We have to get back to work.\u00a0 That\u2019s what I\u2019m saying.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, this is off topic.\u00a0 It\u2019s about the announcement from last night.\u00a0 It\u2019s a yes or no question, but not that we expect the answer to be yes or no.<\/p>\n<p>But wasn\u2019t Michael Atkinson doing the job of the Inspector General of the intelligence community, the job he was supposed to do, when he simply took the whistleblower complaint to Congress that hadn\u2019t been taken previously?\u00a0 Wasn\u2019t he doing the job that he was supposed to do, that American taxpayers were paying him to do?\u00a0 And why did you decide to terminate \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I thought he did a terrible job.\u00a0 Absolutely terrible.\u00a0 He took a whistleblower report, which turned out to be a fake report \u2014 it was fake.\u00a0 It was totally wrong.\u00a0 It was about my conversation with the President of Ukraine.\u00a0 He took a fake report and he brought it to Congress, with an emergency.\u00a0 Okay?\u00a0 Not a big Trump fan \u2014 that, I can tell you.<\/p>\n<p>Instead of saying \u2014 and we offered this to him: \u201cNo, no, we will take the conversation\u201d \u2014 where, fortunately, we had that transcript.\u00a0 If we didn\u2019t have a transcript with the kind of deception and dishonesty that were practiced by the Democrats, I might not be standing here right now.\u00a0 Okay? Fortunately, we had a transcript and it was a perfect transcript, because even the lieutenant colonel admitted it was correct.\u00a0 Okay?<\/p>\n<p>Wait a minute.\u00a0 Wait a minute.\u00a0 You asked a question.<\/p>\n<p>So he took this whistleblower \u2014 and I keep saying, \u201cWhere\u2019s the whistleblower?\u201d\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 \u201cAnd why was the whistleblower allowed to do this?\u201d\u00a0 Why was he allowed to be \u2014 you call it fraudulent or incorrect transcript.<\/p>\n<p>So we offered this IG \u2014 I don\u2019t know him; I don\u2019t think I ever met him.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think I \u2014 he never even came in to see me.\u00a0 How can you do that without seeing the person?\u00a0 Never came in to see me.\u00a0 Never requested to see me.\u00a0 He took this terrible, inaccurate whistleblower report \u2014 right? \u2014 and he brought it to Congress.<\/p>\n<p>We offered to have him see my exact conversation.\u00a0 It was all about the conversation, by the way.\u00a0 That was the whole thing, was about the conversation.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 And then after he saw it, he must\u2019ve said, \u201cWow,\u201d because as I\u2019ve said it many times and it drives you people crazy, it was a perfect conversation.<\/p>\n<p>So instead of going and saying, \u201cGee, this is a terrible thing he said about the President\u2019s conversation\u201d \u2014 well, it was a fraud.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t say that.\u00a0 And, by the way, you have the whistleblower.\u00a0 Where\u2019s the informer?\u00a0 Right?<\/p>\n<p>And here\u2019s another question: Remember before I did the \u2014 before I gave the transcript \u2014 in other words, before I revealed the real conversation \u2014 where\u2019s the second whistleblower?\u00a0 Remember the second whistle \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Wait, wait, wait, wait.\u00a0 There was going to be a second whistleblower.\u00a0 But after I gave the conversation, he just went away.\u00a0 He miraculously went away.<\/p>\n<p>Where\u2019s the informer?\u00a0 Because there was going to be this informer.\u00a0 Maybe Schiff was the informer.\u00a0 You ever think of that?\u00a0 He\u2019s a corrupt guy.\u00a0 He\u2019s a corrupt politician.<\/p>\n<p>So, listen, I say this: Where\u2019s the informer?\u00a0 Remember, the informer was coming forward.\u00a0 But I gave \u2014 because, see, I did one thing that surprised everybody.\u00a0 This gentleman right here said, \u201cBoy, that was a shocker.\u201d\u00a0 I revealed the conversation.\u00a0 I got approval from Ukraine because I didn\u2019t want to do it without their approval.\u00a0 And they said, \u201cAbsolutely.\u00a0 You did nothing wrong.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>By the way, President of Ukraine, Foreign Minister said, \u201cHe did nothing wrong.\u201d\u00a0 And over that, with 196 to nothing vote by the Republicans \u2014 not one dissenting Republican vote \u2014 dishonest Democrats impeached a President of the United States.\u00a0 That man is a disgrace to IGs.<\/p>\n<p>All right, let\u2019s go.\u00a0 Next.\u00a0 Please.\u00a0 He\u2019s a total disgrace.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, did you run by your decision to dismiss the Inspector General by Senator McConnell?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0\u00a0 Okay, we\u2019ll get off this because people want to talk about what we\u2019re talking about.\u00a0 But let me just tell you something: That\u2019s my decision.\u00a0 I have the absolute right.\u00a0 Even the fake news last night said, \u201cHe has the absolute right to do it.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But ask him, \u201cWhy didn\u2019t you go and see the actual conversation?\u201d\u00a0 There was no rush.\u00a0 He said, \u201cOh we\u2019d have to rush it.\u201d\u00a0 He even said it was politically biased.\u00a0 He actually said that.\u00a0 The report could have been \u2014 you know who the whistleblower is, and so do you and so does everybody in this room, and so do I.\u00a0 Everybody knows.\u00a0 But they give this whistleblower a status that he doesn\u2019t deserve.\u00a0 He\u2019s a fake whistleblower.\u00a0 And, frankly, somebody ought to sue his ass off.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I just want to follow up, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 All right, it\u2019s enough with the whistleblower.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, the governor of New York today said that he is still desperate for ventilators and that he has accepted 1,000 of them from the Chinese government.\u00a0 Are you concerned that states \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, what he didn\u2019t say is \u2014 okay, let me tell you what he didn\u2019t say.<\/p>\n<p>Two very good friends of mine brought him those whistleblower \u2014 brought him those ventilators, right?\u00a0 Two very good friends of mine \u2014 they brought them.\u00a0 If you\u2019d like their name, I\u2019ll give you their name.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But should states and cities have to rely on \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No, but he \u2014 the governor didn\u2019t \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 China and Russia for supplies?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 \u2014 mention that.\u00a0 It came through the Chinese \u2014 the country of China.\u00a0 But they were given by two friends of mine, but he didn\u2019t tell you that.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the governor also \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Who are your friends?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 You\u2019ll see when you read the letter.<\/p>\n<p>The governor also asked for 40,000 \u2014 40,000.\u00a0 He wanted 40,000 ventilators.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the governor, as you know, had a chance to get 16,000 a few years ago.\u00a0 He decided not to get that.\u00a0 The State of New York has asked for help.\u00a0 I\u2019ve given him four hospitals, four medical centers.\u00a0 Then I gave him an additional hospital.\u00a0 Then I gave him military people to operate the hospital.\u00a0 They were not supposed to be COVID hospitals.\u00a0 The boat \u2014 the ship is not \u2014 an interesting thing happened with the ship.\u00a0 People aren\u2019t in accidents because there\u2019s nobody driving.\u00a0 There\u2019s nobody taking motorcycle rides down the West Side Highway at 100 miles an hour.\u00a0 People are away.\u00a0 So people aren\u2019t being injured.<\/p>\n<p>Now they\u2019re asking whether or not we could open up the ship for COVID.\u00a0 We have given the governor of New York more than anybody has ever been given in a long time.\u00a0 I\u2019ll just say \u2014 I was going to say \u201cin history,\u201d but in a long time.\u00a0 And I think he\u2019s happy.<\/p>\n<p>But I think that \u2014 because I watched what he said today, and it was fine.\u00a0 I wouldn\u2019t say gracious.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t gracious.\u00a0 It was okay.\u00a0 I must tell you, Gavin Newsom has been gracious \u2013Los Angeles, California, the job we\u2019ve done, and all of California.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But why does that matter if they\u2019re gracious or not gracious if they need the supplies?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t matter.\u00a0 But I think when we\u2019ve given as much as we\u2019ve given to New York, somebody should say \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Nice \u2014 I\u2019ll tell you who\u2019s been very nice: Mayor de Blasio has been very nice.\u00a0 He understands what we\u2019ve given him.\u00a0 We brought him some more ventilators, too, yesterday.<\/p>\n<p>But nobody has been given like New York.\u00a0 And I think \u2014 I know he appreciates it.\u00a0 He just can\u2019t quite get the words out, but that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So when he says \u2014 but when he says that he needs 40,000 \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Please, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, let me come back to Dr. Fauci\u2019s comments on \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 To which one?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dr. Fauci\u2019s comments \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 on mitigation.\u00a0 On the reproductive value of the virus, the WHO had it up, I think, 2 to 2.6.\u00a0 Others had it a percentage point or two higher.\u00a0 Do we have a new number now based on those mitigation techniques?\u00a0 Have we managed to bring it down?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, Deb, I think maybe you should answer that, right?\u00a0 Dr. Birx, please?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And is the target to get below 1?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yeah, sure \u2014 go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s an excellent question.\u00a0 And it\u2019s why all of the modelers \u2014 and I really want to thank them again \u2014 they\u2019re reevaluating all of their models in light of the level of the impact of the mitigation.<\/p>\n<p>Remember, none of us had really been through this before.\u00a0 So when we modeled school closures and distancing and staying at home, and all of these pieces, that had never really come into the model before.\u00a0 They\u2019re working on that very diligently now.<\/p>\n<p>Of course, just to be clear, we won\u2019t know how valid the models are until we move all the way through the epidemic.\u00a0 What we\u2019re triangulating right now \u2014 and instead of working on R naught, we\u2019re looking at testing and triangulating testing test- positive cases, hospitalizations, ICUs, and the whole \u2014 and, of course, the recoveries, because that\u2019s also very important to us.<\/p>\n<p>I think it\u2019s very important that the American people know that there are equal number of states with less than 5 percent positives despite high levels of testing.\u00a0 So there are states that are mitigating and making this work.\u00a0 There are also the states that you know of \u2014 the 18 states that have the larger outbreaks \u2014 and we\u2019re watching them very carefully, triangulating for them all of the information to ensure that clients who come to the hospital are cared for.<\/p>\n<p>And then there are states in the middle that we\u2019re trying to figure out, are they changing or not.\u00a0 Each of those states, and each of those epidemics within those states, may have a different R value.\u00a0 And that is what we\u2019re trying to figure out.<\/p>\n<p>And it\u2019s very variable on each of these factors, but the bottom line is \u2014 and I think going into this weekend, it\u2019s really important for the American people to know this: Spain and Italy are moving through this.\u00a0 They are seeing their number of cases drop.\u00a0 They\u2019re seeing the number of people in hospitals drop.\u00a0 We are about, on our models and on the actual data, about 12 days behind them.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time, we see, in the United States, really good case studies of the impact at Washington State, of California, and then a series of smaller states where we\u2019re trying to learn from them how to do surveillance.\u00a0 And with these new HHS, Abbott ID NOW kits \u2014 and I just want to thank Admiral Giroir for getting them out \u2014 being able to look at testing in a more comprehensive way so we can be doing surveillance and mitigation simultaneously so we can answer that very question.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s going to be very difficult to answer at this moment, across the United States, because each metro cluster is on a different pathway as they move through \u2014 move through the epidemic.\u00a0 And I think we just really ought to emphasize \u201cthrough,\u201d because we see Italy, we see Spain moving through.\u00a0 And we hope to be in that same position.<\/p>\n<p>At the same time as the President said, he\u2019s concerned about every single person that is succumbing to this virus.\u00a0 We all are.\u00a0 And that\u2019s why we\u2019re making sure that in this triangulation, they\u2019re tracking minute by minute.\u00a0 When we say FEMA and HHS is tracking minute by minute the ventilator, hospital, and ICU bed need, that\u2019s exactly what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n<p>And also being flexible and responsive.\u00a0 To have DOD take 1,000 healthcare providers out of their medical corps is a very big deal.\u00a0 I was in the medical corps for 29 years.\u00a0 We never did that.\u00a0 So this is saying we respect and understand the importance and value of the American lives and doing that.\u00a0 But the R values will be variable by state.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can I just follow up?\u00a0 A week ago, we talked about a county-by-county \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Before I do that, you had breaking news last night \u2014 you know that; you saw that \u2014 where I think the probable presidential candidate for the Democrats will be Joe Biden, and he agreed that he was correct when I stopped people from China very early \u2014 very, very early \u2014 from coming into our country.\u00a0 And Dr. Fauci said that was a very big moment because it would be a much different picture we have right now had we allowed thousands and thousands of people from a specific area \u2014 I don\u2019t have to go into it \u2014 from China, to come in highly infected.\u00a0 It would have been a very different thing.<\/p>\n<p>The other thing \u2014 so I appreciate the fact that he did, because I was called \u201cxenophobic,\u201d \u201cracist.\u201d\u00a0 I was called many things when I did that very early.\u00a0 And I got a lot of credit for it in the Federalist.\u00a0 Because the Federalist covered the whole journey.\u00a0 And they said Trump was \u2014 I didn\u2019t speak to the author \u2014 respected author.\u00a0 They said, \u201cTrump was right at every single move.\u00a0 And on top of that, he was going through a fake impeachment,\u201d a hoax.\u00a0 I was going through a hoax, when I made the decision.\u00a0 And that does take a little time and certainly a little thinking time.<\/p>\n<p>But I appreciated the fact that Joe Biden announced last night that he now agrees that I was correct.\u00a0 You saw the report come out \u2014 that I was correct when I stopped people from China coming at a very early date.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, can we talk about the \u2014 Captain Crozier of the USS Roosevelt?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Which one?\u00a0 What?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Captain Crozier, who was removed.\u00a0 The captain who was removed as the commander of the USS Roosevelt.<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t know if you saw the videos of sailors cheering for him as he left.\u00a0 Our reporting shows that some sailors have said that they are worried to reenlist because they are not convinced that commanders are taking care of their health and taking care of them.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What do you say to them?\u00a0 And does how removing \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, I don\u2019t know much about it.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How does removing this captain \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I can only tell you this \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 take care of their health?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Here we have one of the greatest \u2014 here we have one of the greatest ships in the world.\u00a0 Nuclear aircraft carrier.\u00a0 Incredible ship with thousands and thousands of people.\u00a0 And you had about 120 that were infected.<\/p>\n<p>Now, I guess the captain stopped in Vietnam and people got off in Vietnam.\u00a0 Perhaps you don\u2019t do that in the middle of a pandemic or \u2014 or something that looked like it was going to be \u2014 you know, history would say you don\u2019t necessarily stop and let your sailors gets off, number one.<\/p>\n<p>But more importantly, he wrote a letter.\u00a0 The letter was a five-page letter from a captain, and the letter was all over the place.\u00a0 That\u2019s not appropriate.\u00a0 I don\u2019t think that\u2019s appropriate.\u00a0 And these are tough people.\u00a0 These are tough, strong people.<\/p>\n<p>I thought it looked terrible, to be honest with you.\u00a0 Now, they made their decision.\u00a0 I didn\u2019t make the decision.\u00a0 Secretary of Defense was involved and a lot of people were involved.\u00a0 I thought it was terrible what he did to write a letter.\u00a0 I mean, this isn\u2019t a class on literature.\u00a0 This is a captain of a massive ship that\u2019s nuclear powered.\u00a0 And he shouldn\u2019t be talking that way in a letter.\u00a0 He could call and ask and suggest.<\/p>\n<p>But he stopped in Vietnam.\u00a0 A lot of people got off the boat.\u00a0 They came back and they had infection.\u00a0 And I thought it was inappropriate for the captain of a ship to do \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Were you consulted about his removal?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to \u2014 I don\u2019t want to comment as to whether or not.\u00a0 But I agree with their decision 100 percent.<\/p>\n<p>In the back, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Joe Biden actually just attacked you in a tweet.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know if you have seen it.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 He just what?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Attacked you.\u00a0 He just said that \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, he didn\u2019t write anything.\u00a0 Look, he has people \u2014 he has professionals from the Democrats writing.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, let me just read what he said.\u00a0 He said, \u201cDonald Trump is not responsible for the coronavirus, but he is responsible for failing to prepare our nation to respond to it.\u201d\u00a0 How do you respond to that, sir?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Okay, he didn\u2019t write that.\u00a0 That was done by a Democrat operative.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t write.\u00a0 He doesn\u2019t \u2014 he\u2019s probably not even watching right now.\u00a0 And if he is, he doesn\u2019t understand what he\u2019s watching.<\/p>\n<p>But just so you understand, it was very nice what they wrote.\u00a0 And, I don\u2019t know \u2014 you know, they released it at a strange time.\u00a0 You know, sort of a strange time to release something like that.\u00a0 But he admitted I was right.<\/p>\n<p>And if you read the Federalist story, which most of you won\u2019t because you don\u2019t want to, but you\u2019d learn something, because if you go \u2014 it goes to a chart, times.<\/p>\n<p>I was early.\u00a0 Dr. Fauci, I think \u2014 I don\u2019t think he\u2019s changed his mind, but he said it was a very important step when we stopped China from coming in from the specific area that was heavily infected.\u00a0 We\u2019d have a whole different thing right now.<\/p>\n<p>So I don\u2019t really know what Joe Biden said.\u00a0 I don\u2019t really care.\u00a0 And again, I see \u2014 every once in a while I\u2019ll say something, I\u2019ll make a speech, and then it\u2019ll be critiqued and I\u2019ll get this beautiful, brilliant critique.\u00a0 Joe Biden didn\u2019t write that.\u00a0 Joe Biden didn\u2019t write that.\u00a0 He wished he did, but he didn\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.\u00a0 Please.\u00a0 Back.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sure.\u00a0 I wanted to ask Dr. Fauci a quick question.\u00a0 China has warned of a resurgence of the virus.\u00a0 Has the U.S. developed a plan if, in fact, a second wave of the virus does, in fact, occur here in the country?<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 Yes.\u00a0 Yes, we do.\u00a0 I mean, one of the things that obviously is parallel with thinking about the possibility, as I mentioned a little while ago, about mitigation allowing us to turn the corner very much on the front burner is what happens when we do, because the risk of there being a resurgent is real.<\/p>\n<p>So what we need to do \u2014 and I believe I said this before but it\u2019s worth repeating \u2014 that what we need to have in place, and we will have that in place, is that as you then pull back, you have to have the capability of, in a very pristine, precise way, do the kind of containment when you do see it.\u00a0 Because remember, when you get to mitigation, containment takes the backseat because you\u2019re just struggling to mitigate.\u00a0 But when you get it down, you need to make sure it doesn\u2019t resurge.\u00a0 That will require the ability to test, to identify, to isolate, and to do contact tracing.\u00a0 That\u2019s what we have to have in place, and hopefully we will at the time that we then pull back.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 A question for Dr. Hahn from the FDA.\u00a0 You mentioned the plasma, sir.\u00a0 So these are \u2014 this is plasma that were infected, that now either recovered or are doing well enough, and then they\u2019re transferring it to \u2014 is it family members?\u00a0 Can you walk us through \u2014 that\u2019s working as, kind of, like a case-by-case basis to certain hospitals?\u00a0 What are the results from that?\u00a0 I was just not familiar with that one.<\/p>\n<p>DR. HAHN:\u00a0 So, this is a situation where someone who\u2019s recovered from the virus and doesn\u2019t have the virus in their system at all, you can take plasma \u2014 and this is a pretty routine procedure.\u00a0 You can actually donate a couple times a week, a couple times of month, frankly, and give that plasma.\u00a0 And that plasma contains the proteins in the blood that have the antibodies against the virus.\u00a0 You can take that, process it, and then give it to someone who\u2019s ill.\u00a0 And so that allows you to transfer that immunity.\u00a0 It doesn\u2019t have to be matched by family or anything like that.<\/p>\n<p>Since last Tuesday \u2014 the Tuesday before last \u2014 we\u2019ve allowed academic centers and other laboratories and hospitals around the country to do this on a compassionate-use basis.<\/p>\n<p>What we did was we pulled this together in what\u2019s called an Expanded Access Program and run it through the Red Cross because they\u2019ve got the greatest system and capacity for doing this.\u00a0 And this allows us to scale up so that when people get sick, we can actually have these donated plasma packs given to the patients who are sick.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0 So are people \u2014 do people need to be donating plasma? Obviously, some of us don\u2019t know if we\u2019ve had it or recovered.\u00a0 I mean, what should people be doing?<\/p>\n<p>DR. HAHN:\u00a0 So, we\u2019ve started with the Red Cross in this program.\u00a0 We made an announcement yesterday.\u00a0 We are planning to actually scale that up, and we\u2019ll have more information this week.\u00a0 Because we want to make sure we have the systems in place.\u00a0 It\u2019s a superb question.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 All right, Jeff, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, can you clarify the situation with 3M right now?\u00a0 Germany said that it was an act of piracy that 200,000 masks were apparently diverted from Thailand to the United States, instead of to Berlin.\u00a0 Is that a miscommunication?\u00a0 Did that actually happen?\u00a0 And should 3M be fulfilling contracts for masks to other countries?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We\u2019re very disappointed in 3M.\u00a0 They should be taking care of our country.\u00a0 And they can sell to others, but they should be taking care of our country.<\/p>\n<p>The people that have dealt with them have dealt successfully with many companies over the last month.\u00a0 They don\u2019t like the way 3M has treated our country.\u00a0 They don\u2019t, frankly, like the representatives of 3M.\u00a0 And no act of pir- \u2014 you said piracy, right?\u00a0 Piracy?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 For Germans \u2014 the German order.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 There\u2019s been no act of piracy.\u00a0 No, there\u2019s been no act of piracy.\u00a0 It\u2019s the opposite.\u00a0 3M has not treated our country well.\u00a0 And if they do, great.\u00a0 And if they don\u2019t, they\u2019re going to have a hell of a price to pay.\u00a0 Okay?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But the German order \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I say it that way.\u00a0 And I watched him on television, on something, talking about how \u201cthis is so hard to believe, so hard to fathom.\u201d\u00a0 They ought to get their act together.\u00a0 Because I got involved and I looked at what happened, and they have not \u2014 3M has not treated our country well.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can you just clarify about that German order though?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Go ahead, please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Was that diverted, sir, or was that not diverted?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We\u2019ll get you the information.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And can I ask one for Dr. Fauci?\u00a0 I was wondering about what you\u2019re seeing as far as lupus patients, in regards to coronavirus.\u00a0 I know the President mentioned this earlier, but what does the medicine say?<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 What is the question?\u00a0 Is that, \u201cWhat is the incidence of coronavirus?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah, I mean, if you lupus, do you have \u2014<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 a greater chance of getting coronavirus or \u2014<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 There is \u2014 right now, this is being looked at in a natural history study.\u00a0 We don\u2019t have any definitive information to be able to make any comment that that \u2014 it\u2019s an obvious good question, because it might be a way for us to get some interesting and potentially important data as to the role of those medications.\u00a0 But that\u2019s something that is now being looked at, but we don\u2019t have any data to be able to say anything definitively.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And I hope they use the hydroxychloroquine, and they can also do it with Z-Pak, subject to your doctor\u2019s approval, and all of that.\u00a0 But I hope they use it because I\u2019ll tell you what: What do you have to lose?\u00a0 In some cases, they\u2019re in bad shape.\u00a0 What do you have to lose?\u00a0 It\u2019s been out there for a long time, and I hope they use it.\u00a0 And they\u2019re going to look at the \u2014 with doctors.\u00a0 Work with doctors.\u00a0 Get what you have to get.\u00a0 But we have it stockpiled, and it\u2019s \u2014 we have a lot of it, and we\u2019re getting more of it.<\/p>\n<p>And as I told you, I spoke to Prime Minister Modi.\u00a0 We\u2019re getting more of it, but we have a lot of it.\u00a0 And I hope they use it, because it\u2019s been used for a long time and therefore it\u2019s passed the safety test.\u00a0 FDA has been terrific.\u00a0 Dr. Hahn, I appreciate it very much, too.\u00a0 But I\u2019ve seen some results.<\/p>\n<p>Now, it\u2019s early, I guess. \u00a0It\u2019s early.\u00a0 But \u2014 and you should \u2014 they should look at the lupus thing.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know what it says, but there\u2019s a rumor out there that \u2014 because it takes care of lupus very effectively, as I understand it.\u00a0 It\u2019s a, you know, a drug that\u2019s used for lupus.<\/p>\n<p>So there\u2019s a study out there that says people that have lupus haven\u2019t been catching this virus.\u00a0 You know, maybe it\u2019s true, maybe it\u2019s not.\u00a0 Why don\u2019t you investigate that?<\/p>\n<p>And there\u2019s also other studies, you know, with the malaria, that the malaria countries have very little \u2014 people that take this drug for malaria, which is very effective for malaria \u2014 that those countries have very little of this virus.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 You\u2019re going to check it out.<\/p>\n<p>But I think people should \u2014 if it were me \u2014 in fact, I might do it anyway.\u00a0 I may take it.\u00a0 Okay?\u00a0 I may take it.\u00a0 And I\u2019ll have to ask my doctors about that, but I may take it.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yeah, please go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, last week, the last couple of days, you\u2019ve been really optimistic about Russia and Saudi Arabia coming together on a deal on oil.\u00a0 But in the last 24 hours, the OPEC-plus meeting has been pushed back.\u00a0 They\u2019ve traded some really critical statements.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, OPEC can do whatever \u2014 look, I\u2019ve been against OPEC all my life, because what is it?\u00a0 It\u2019s an illegal \u2014 you could call it a cartel, you could call it a monopoly.\u00a0 You have a lot of different names for it.\u00a0 But it broke down very violently.\u00a0 Very violently.<\/p>\n<p>So I don\u2019t care about OPEC.\u00a0 I really don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So you\u2019re not \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0\u00a0 I couldn\u2019t care less about OPEC.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So you\u2019re not less optimistic about \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Let me just say \u2014\u00a0no, no.\u00a0 I think they\u2019re going to settle it.\u00a0 You know why?\u00a0 Because they\u2019re going to be destroyed.\u00a0 They\u2019re destroying themselves if they don\u2019t.<\/p>\n<p>Russia \u2014 it\u2019s a very important \u2014 and we had a very good conversation, President Putin and myself.\u00a0 Very good.\u00a0 But Russia \u2014 a big part of their economic wellbeing is from oil.\u00a0 Well, oil is at a record low.\u00a0 Nobody has ever seen anything like it.\u00a0 It\u2019s actually lower than you even think.\u00a0 And it\u2019s to their advantage.\u00a0 Obviously, it\u2019s to Saudi Arabia\u2019s advantage.<\/p>\n<p>They told me they\u2019re discussing.\u00a0 Saudi Arabia went much further than that.\u00a0 He thinks that a deal is going to be made at 10 million barrels reduction, and maybe more than that.\u00a0 He actually indicated it would most likely be much more than that.\u00a0 So we\u2019ll see what happens.\u00a0 I mean, we\u2019re going to see what happens.<\/p>\n<p>But as far as OPEC is concerned, I mean, I was against OPEC for years and years because I thought it was very unfair to our country.\u00a0 The beautiful thing is we have built one of the great \u2014 you know, one of the things we\u2019ve done is created so much.\u00a0 We \u2014 we produce.\u00a0 We\u2019re the number one producer in the world right now.\u00a0 I don\u2019t like it for a different reason: because it\u2019s going to hurt a lot of jobs in our country, this price.\u00a0 It\u2019s going to hurt a lot of jobs.<\/p>\n<p>Now, with all of that being said, people are going to be driving, paying 90 cents a gallon.\u00a0 Did you ever hear of that?\u00a0 What\u2019s that, 1952 or something?\u00a0 All right?<\/p>\n<p>So from that standpoint \u2014 but you know what?\u00a0 I am a big believer in our great energy business, and we\u2019re going to take care of our energy business.\u00a0 And if I have to do tariffs on oil coming from outside, or if I have to do something to protect \u2014 or thousands and tens of thousands of energy workers, and our great companies that produce all these jobs \u2014 I\u2019ll do whatever I have to do.<\/p>\n<p>Okay, yeah, ma\u2019am.\u00a0 Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 You tweeted a little while ago about how sad it is for kids, they don\u2019t have little league right now.\u00a0 But I\u2019m wondering if you\u2019re willing to share about your youngest son and how he\u2019s dealing with life, and sheltering in place, not going to school, no sports.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, he\u2019s a good athlete, and he loves soccer.\u00a0 And he \u2014 he\u2019s like everyone else.\u00a0 I mean, everything shut down.\u00a0 He\u2019s in his room.\u00a0 He\u2019s happy, but he\u2019s not as happy as you could be.\u00a0 He\u2019d like to be playing sports.\u00a0 Barron.<\/p>\n<p>And let\u2019s see what happens.\u00a0 But we have to get back.\u00a0 We have to get back.\u00a0 Remember that.\u00a0 We have to get back, and we have to get back soon.\u00a0 Okay?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, on the jobs report numbers \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Do you guys ever stop?\u00a0 Do you want to keep going for a little while?\u00a0 Huh?\u00a0 I mean, do you ever stop?\u00a0 How many times do you ask \u2014 and in many cases, it\u2019s the same \u2014 actually, a lot of good questions.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 In the jobs report \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 But keep going?\u00a0 Yes?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yes, sir.\u00a0 This is what we do.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 So you\u2019re not going to blame me that I kept it going too long?\u00a0 People said, \u201cOh, he kept\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 It\u2019s Saturday, yeah.\u00a0 (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No.\u00a0 I mean, no, it\u2019s amazing.\u00a0 I\u2019m telling you, every hand went up.\u00a0 I thought we\u2019ve gone through \u2014 and they\u2019re all \u2014 every \u2014<\/p>\n<p>I think every single hand went up the last time.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We\u2019ve got nowhere else to go.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 You know what it shows you?\u00a0 It shows you that you love what you do.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 We do love what we do, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 You do.\u00a0 No, you do.\u00a0 And some of you do it well.\u00a0 Not all of you.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 No offense taken.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I\u2019m not looking at you, by the way.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So we did get the jobs reports numbers yesterday.\u00a0 Obviously, that\u2019s kind of a small portion because it\u2019s only the first half of March.\u00a0 Was there anything in there that was any sign of optimism?\u00a0 I mean, obviously, we all saw the numbers, you know, down at retail, down in hospitality.\u00a0 Was there anything that you said, \u201cOkay, maybe with this virus we will see some sort of net gain in jobs\u201d?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Look, the job numbers are what they are.\u00a0 We asked everybody to go home, don\u2019t work.\u00a0 So the numbers are going to be, you know, astronomical.\u00a0 We understand that.\u00a0 I understood that.<\/p>\n<p>I know somebody said that the numbers are meaningless, and then they took that to mean, \u201cOh, jobs don\u2019t mean anything.\u201d\u00a0 And, you know, it was just another fake news story.\u00a0 It wasn\u2019t me that said it, by the way.\u00a0 It was a very smart person.\u00a0 But they meant it by saying it really is what \u2014 that\u2019s why I answer your question very carefully.\u00a0 The numbers are what they are.\u00a0 We know the numbers were going to be massive, because we told everybody to go home and lock your door, essentially.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 \u201cDon\u2019t come to work.\u00a0 You can\u2019t come to work.\u00a0 Don\u2019t go outside.\u00a0 Don\u2019t breathe.\u00a0 Don\u2019t do anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We got to open up our country.\u00a0 But I know \u2014 I know that it\u2019s coming back.\u00a0 And in my opinion, it will come back very strong.\u00a0 There\u2019s a tremendous energy.\u00a0 There\u2019s a tremendous demand.\u00a0 And some good things have happened.<\/p>\n<p>I mean \u2014 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 You know, there\u2019s one habit that, as you know, most of you \u2014 and a lot of you have covered me a long time before I did this \u2014 I was never a big believer in shaking hands.\u00a0 But I decided, if you don\u2019t shake hands, you\u2019re not going to be winning a lot of contests.\u00a0 Right now, I\u2019m not sure you have to shake hands anymore.<\/p>\n<p>A couple of people have told me \u2014 Deborah, you told me that if we didn\u2019t shake hands, the incidence of flu \u2014 flu is a big deal also \u2014 and that flu might be cut down in half.\u00a0 Who knew that shaking hands was such a bad thing?\u00a0 I felt it.\u00a0 I mean, I always felt it.\u00a0 And, you know, I was never to a point where I can\u2019t shake somebody\u2019s hand.\u00a0 I knew people like that too.\u00a0 But there aren\u2019t too many of them.<\/p>\n<p>But when I ran for office, all of a sudden, I\u2019m shaking hundreds of hands.\u00a0 And if I don\u2019t, I wouldn\u2019t even be standing here.\u00a0 But I think that\u2019s a custom that maybe people don\u2019t have to.\u00a0 We have to get close together, we have to sit together at the stadiums, we have to sit next to each other in restaurants.\u00a0 All that stuff is going to happen, but I think the concept of shaking hands maybe is something that\u2019s going to be a little bit from the past.\u00a0 Let\u2019s see what happens.\u00a0 Maybe they\u2019ll go right back to shaking hands.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And my last question for the day.\u00a0 How about that?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Good.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Is there anything you want people to do to show their support, especially \u2014 we have two doctors up there \u2014 to show their support for the medical community?\u00a0 Is there something that \u2014 we\u2019ve seen people clapping when nurses leave.\u00a0 I\u2019ve seen people make \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, we\u2019ve seen a lot of that.\u00a0 You might say something there.\u00a0 I have seen such support.\u00a0 I saw this morning where everyone \u2014 they\u2019re clapping for fire department, they\u2019re clapping for police.\u00a0 But they are really going \u2014 these people are \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 What should people do?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 You know what they\u2019re like?\u00a0 They\u2019re like \u2014 Tony, they\u2019re like warriors.\u00a0 Mike, they\u2019re like warriors.\u00a0 They were going into Elmhurst Hospital, which has been tragic \u2014 right near where I grew up, in Queens \u2014 going in.\u00a0 And the people in buildings \u2014 there\u2019s \u2014 going.\u00a0 I mean, they\u2019re the rockstars.\u00a0 They\u2019re warriors.\u00a0 Nurses, doctors, first responders, what they\u2019re \u2014 what they\u2019re going through.<\/p>\n<p>And they don\u2019t even know what\u2019s going to happen.\u00a0 I mean, they go in.\u00a0 And, by the way, even if they have great equipment they\u2019re catching it.\u00a0 You know, great equipment.\u00a0 They have good equipment, they catch it.\u00a0 They catch it with good, with bad.\u00a0 It is evil.<\/p>\n<p>But, Tony, you might say something.\u00a0 And, Mike, you may say something about that.<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 Yeah.\u00a0 I\u2019m glad you brought up that question because I don\u2019t think people can really fully appreciate\u00a0the extraordinary effort of these people.\u00a0 I mean, it\u2019s \u2014 it\u2019s amazing.<\/p>\n<p>I \u2014 you know, I did all of my medical training in New York City, in a big, busy New York City hospital, at a time when it was just what you normally see in a hospital.\u00a0 I came to NIH and I spent about five to eight years in the very early years of the AIDS epidemic \u2014 which was just the darkest years of my life because almost every single one of my patients died.<\/p>\n<p>And yet, as we knew epidemiologically that there was very little risk \u2014 there was a small risk, but very little risk of getting infected from a patient, to see now what these brave warriors are doing in the hospitals, not only giving lifesaving treatment to people, but every single day putting themselves at risk for themselves and their family \u2014 I just think that the American public owe a phenomenal debt of gratitude for these people.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How do you want them show that?\u00a0 What would you \u2014<\/p>\n<p>DR.\u00a0FAUCI:\u00a0 And they should just salute them at every \u2014 every ways you can.\u00a0 You know, when we were at war \u2014 at the height of the war in Afghanistan, in Iraq \u2014 when you\u2019re at an airport and you\u2019d see somebody with a uniform come by, everybody would do that. (Claps.)\u00a0 I think that\u2019s what we should do when we see healthcare workers.\u00a0 Just applaud them.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Thank you, sir.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Pretty much what\u2019s happening.<\/p>\n<p>Mike, please.<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 The stories are incredibly moving about what healthcare workers are doing every day.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just that they\u2019re going back into the hospital in places like New York and New Jersey, and earlier than that, in Washington State and California, where this first began.\u00a0 It\u2019s not just that they\u2019re providing care to people.\u00a0 But because of the nature of how contagious the coronavirus is, they\u2019re also supplementing for family.<\/p>\n<p>I mean, that\u2019s what \u2014 that\u2019s what gets to me when I hear the stories that, understandably, in nursing homes and in hospitals they\u2019re restricting visitors \u2014 and they should \u2014 to prevent the spread of the virus to be brought into the hospital or to be brought out.<\/p>\n<p>And so to hear the stories of healthcare workers who are holding up an iPhone while someone who\u2019s critically ill with the coronavirus may well be saying their last goodbyes to their family, and then to be there in those moments \u2014 I mean, our healthcare workers are \u2014 they\u2019re not just doctors and nurses today, they \u2014 they\u2019re supplementing for family, for people all across the country.<\/p>\n<p>And I just think \u2014 you know, tomorrow is Palm Sunday.\u00a0 It\u2019s Holy Week in the great Christian tradition.\u00a0 And I have people ask me, from time to time \u2014 send me an email, or on the many conference calls we have \u2014 they said, \u201cWhat can we be praying about?\u201d\u00a0 And my first thought is with the families who have lost loved ones and the patients who are struggling with coronavirus.\u00a0 But during this very special week, I just encourage people to pray for our healthcare workers.\u00a0 Pray for them and their families.\u00a0 They are really the hands and feet every day, not just of healthcare, but of the heart of the American people.\u00a0 And we are all grateful for them every hour of the day.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And think also about the Army Corps of Engineers.\u00a0 Now, it\u2019s a little different, depending on where they are and where they\u2019re working.\u00a0 But the Army Corps of Eng- \u2014 throwing up a hospital in New York City: 2,500 beds in three days?\u00a0 I mean, think of that.\u00a0 And FEMA, what they\u2019re doing.\u00a0 And the National Guard is now delivering for the state because the state were unable to get \u2014 we\u2019d drop it at a big warehouse where we\u2019re told to drop it, and the states were unable \u2014 some of the states were unable to bring it from the warehouse to the site.<\/p>\n<p>So we got the National Guard to become a delivery service, if you can believe it, and they would bring it.\u00a0 And some of those sites were dangerous sites.\u00a0 They were very dangerous sites.\u00a0 Think of that.\u00a0 It\u2019s been amazing.\u00a0 It\u2019s been amazing.<\/p>\n<p>I just think \u2014 I\u2019ve never seen anything like it.\u00a0 I\u2019m so proud of this country.\u00a0 And, really, it\u2019s a world problem and some countries in the world are just handling it so well.<\/p>\n<p>You know, again, I keep saying it: It\u2019s 151.\u00a0 That was as of two, three days ago.\u00a0 It\u2019s probably more.\u00a0 Some people said they didn\u2019t know there were that many countries.\u00a0 That\u2019s how big this is.<\/p>\n<p>And Mike said something also.\u00a0 You have Palm Sunday tomorrow.\u00a0 Think of it.\u00a0 We\u2019re not going to churches on Palm Sunday.\u00a0 But think of next Sunday: Easter.\u00a0 And I brought it up before: I said, maybe we could allow special for churches.\u00a0 Maybe we could talk about it.\u00a0 Maybe we could allow them, with great separation, outside on Easter Sunday.\u00a0 I don\u2019t know, it\u2019s something we should talk about.<\/p>\n<p>But somebody did say that, well, then you\u2019re sort of opening it up to that little \u2014 you know, do we want to take a chance on doing that when we\u2019ve been doing so well.<\/p>\n<p>But Easter Sunday, Palm Sunday.\u00a0 I\u2019m going to be watching tomorrow live from Riverside, California \u2014 a great church.\u00a0 But I\u2019m going to be watching on a computer.\u00a0 Right?\u00a0 On a laptop.\u00a0 I think, on Easter, maybe I\u2019ll be watching from a laptop as opposed \u2014<\/p>\n<p>So how sad is it that we have Easter Palm and Easter Sunday, and people are watching on laptops and computers?\u00a0 It\u2019s sad.<\/p>\n<p>But \u2014 but the job that this whole country has done is amazing.\u00a0 But I\u2019ll say this: Our medical professionals, what they\u2019ve done, because they are \u2014 they walk into those hospitals; you see them putting on their gear and they\u2019re putting it on as they\u2019re walking through the front doors.\u00a0 And some of those people are going to die.\u00a0 They\u2019re going to die.\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s, like, incredible.<\/p>\n<p>And we can say what we want, Tony and Deb, about young and medium-aged.\u00a0 There are plenty of those people dying too.\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s \u2014 it generally hits the older people where they have problems.\u00a0 It hits young people too, and it hits middle-aged people too.<\/p>\n<p>But these people are walking into hospitals, and they watch \u2014 I can\u2019t \u2014 I think it\u2019s \u2014 it\u2019s incredible.\u00a0 And they\u2019re putting their outfit, they\u2019re getting it ready.\u00a0 And they\u2019re going in.\u00a0 They\u2019re going \u2014 it\u2019s like \u2014 it\u2019s like a \u2014 it\u2019s like a war.<\/p>\n<p>Again, there\u2019s never been anything so contagious as this.\u00a0 In 1917, it was vicious if you got it, but it wasn\u2019t contagious like this.<\/p>\n<p>Now, in 1917, had they had the Internet and all the means of communication, they could have practiced distancing.\u00a0 You know, by the time, people started thinking in terms \u2014 in those terms, they lost, I guess, 75 to 100 million people.\u00a0 So that\u2019s modern \u2014 you know, that\u2019s a modern day, great thing that happened.<\/p>\n<p>Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yeah, just on antibodies: To what extent do you think that you can use antibody tests to determine who can go back to work and how \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 I\u2019d rather leave that to the doctor.\u00a0 Doctor, do you have an answer to that?<\/p>\n<p>DR. HAHN:\u00a0 We think it\u2019ll be a tool to help us get people back to work.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be additional information.\u00a0 Because, as you know, if you have an antibody, that means you were exposed and have recovered from it.\u00a0 That, with the information about diagnosis, should help.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But how quickly can you scale up this testing to determine on a large scale how many people can go back to work and have this antibodies?<\/p>\n<p>DR. HAHN:\u00a0 So, as you know, a couple weeks ago, we provided a great deal of regulatory flexibility around this.\u00a0 A lot of great developers have been working on this.\u00a0 Dr. Birx put a call out to the academic labs around the country to do this.\u00a0 And we\u2019ve been working very closely with a number of manufacturers.\u00a0 So we think that it can be scaled up relatively quickly.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, a question for Dr. Fauci.\u00a0 In a recent interview, you had said that you knew the 15-day guidance would not be enough.\u00a0 I wanted to ask your confidence level about the 30-day guidance and whether it\u2019ll be enough.<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 You know, it\u2019s tough to talk about levels of confidence, but I can tell you one thing that I feel strongly: that if we do in a very proactive way what I said in my opening comments, and people literally across the country, as a baseline, have that physical separation \u2014 and as we\u2019ve mentioned up here, there\u2019ll be varying degrees of that depending upon whether you\u2019re in New York City or you\u2019re in a place that\u2019s less.\u00a0 But every place, everybody, should be doing some degree of this physical separation.\u00a0 If we do that, again, I have confidence that what we will see is the turning around of the curve.\u00a0 Whether or not it\u2019ll be all the way down, what we want, it\u2019s impossible to say.\u00a0 I would be \u2014 I would be foolish to say that.<\/p>\n<p>But the one thing I am confident in \u2014 so let\u2019s take this to the bank: that mitigation works.\u00a0 So, it does.\u00a0 We\u2019ve seen it in other countries.\u00a0 We\u2019ve seen it in our own country.\u00a0 And that\u2019s the reason why I keep coming up at every chance I get to plea with the American people to please take a look at those guidelines that the Vice President keeps putting up with his chart, because every single one of those points has something to do with physical separation.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And mitigation does work.\u00a0 But again, we\u2019re not going to destroy our country.\u00a0 We have to get back.\u00a0 Because, you know, at a certain point, you\u2019ll lose more people this way \u2014 through all of the problems caused \u2014 than you will with what we\u2019re doing right now.\u00a0 What we\u2019re doing right now, I think it\u2019s going to be very successful.\u00a0 But you know what?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So if the corona- \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I don\u2019t know.\u00a0 We\u2019re going to \u2014 we have a big decision to make at a certain point.\u00a0 Okay?\u00a0 We have a big decision to make.\u00a0 We went this extra period of time.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019ve said it from the beginning: The cure cannot be worse than the problem itself.\u00a0 And we cannot let that happen.\u00a0 We have an incredible country.\u00a0 We were having the greatest period in our country\u2019s history, from an economic standpoint and many other ways.\u00a0 We cannot let this continue.<\/p>\n<p>So at a certain point, some hard decisions are going to have to be made.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, ventilator manufacturers are doubling, tripling, even quadrupling their production, in some cases.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 That\u2019s true.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And yet, medical experts and some of these manufacturers are predicting that there will still be shortages of tens of thousands of ventilators.\u00a0 Is it time for you to level with the American public that there likely will be shortages of ventilators in some cases?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Could be.\u00a0 I mean, it could be you have shortages, and it could also be that you have some that have way overestimated the number of ventilators they need.<\/p>\n<p>We think that \u2014 you know, we have a good \u2014 a good amount ready to move.\u00a0 I mean, literally, like an army, they\u2019re ready to move to any hotspot.\u00a0 But some of the ones that you\u2019re talking about \u2014 always a nasty question from CNN \u2014 but some of the ones.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why is it a nasty question?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Because I think that, frankly, you know \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Shouldn\u2019t Americans know whether there\u2019s going to be shortages?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Because you know what?\u00a0 You\u2019ve asked that question about 10 times over the course of about a month.<\/p>\n<p>Look, we\u2019re mobilized and ready to go.\u00a0 We have a lot of ventilators ready to go.\u00a0 And if we had given them all out, we wouldn\u2019t, and you would be overstocked in many areas.<\/p>\n<p>What we\u2019re doing is we have a very good plan to take from some areas, even though we have the 10, or almost the 10,000.\u00a0 We\u2019re also taking from areas that won\u2019t be as badly hit as today we think they will be.\u00a0 There will be some areas hit harder than we think.\u00a0 And there\u2019s nothing that Deborah or Tony or any of these professionals can do about it.<\/p>\n<p>This thing moves in a lot of ways.\u00a0 But what we\u2019re going to do is we are going to have \u2014 and if you look at us compared to a lot of other countries, we\u2019re in much better shape.\u00a0 But these professionals have done an amazing job.<\/p>\n<p>Now, over the next week and two weeks \u2014 this is going to be a very, very deadly period, unfortunately \u2014 but we\u2019re going to make it so that we lose as few lives as possible.\u00a0 And I think we\u2019re going to be successful.\u00a0 I think we already are successful in that regard.<\/p>\n<p>When you look at that graph and you see all of the \u2014 the \u201cbumps,\u201d if you want to call it, at a very low level, and you see a couple at a higher level \u2014 they were tough \u2014 but you see all of those levels.\u00a0 You know, when you look in \u2014 and when you hear about Italy and then you hear about France and then you hear about \u2014 you know, what we have is we have many Italys all over. \u00a0We have \u2014 they\u2019re like countries.\u00a0 California is a country; New York is a country \u2014 if you look at them from the standpoint of what we\u2019re talking about.<\/p>\n<p>We have many, like, country spots.\u00a0 Some are hotspots and there\u2019s nothing we\u2019re going to do about it.\u00a0 One of the biggest surprises is Louisiana because it started off so good, and then all of a sudden, it shot up like a rocket.\u00a0 But we are going to try and have ventilators wherever we possibly can.<\/p>\n<p>Jeff, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But it seems like despite the Herculean effort of some of these companies to ramp up production as fast as possible \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Sure.\u00a0 Sure.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 it still won\u2019t be enough.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, New York wanted 40,000 ventilators, okay?\u00a0 Forty thousand.\u00a0 Think of what 40,000 is.\u00a0 It\u2019s like cars.\u00a0 It\u2019s a big project.\u00a0 It\u2019s an expensive product.\u00a0 I mean, some of them are $50,000 apiece.\u00a0 I saw one the other day: 55,000.\u00a0 That was before they start playing the games with supply and demand, okay?\u00a0 Some are very, very \u2014 you call them \u201cluxury.\u201d\u00a0 Some are not.<\/p>\n<p>But, frankly, these are very expensive products.\u00a0 These are very high-tech projects and products, and they take a period of time.\u00a0 We have thousands of them being built right now.\u00a0 Some will be ready.\u00a0 And we\u2019re going to have extra, and we\u2019ll keep them at hospitals.\u00a0 But a lot of hospitals, a lot of states had the chance of getting ventilators, and they turned those ventilators down for \u2014 so they could spend their money on something else.<\/p>\n<p>And in a way, I understand that because who thinks a thing like this \u2014 it\u2019s not a knock.\u00a0 If I\u2019m told \u2014 like, perhaps New York \u2014 you can spend a billion dollars on ventilators and get 16,000 or a massive number of ventilators that they\u2019ve been offered over the years, or you can build a new bridge or road or something.\u00a0 I mean, I understand how that works.\u00a0 I\u2019m not blaming anybody.\u00a0 I\u2019m just saying they \u2014 a lot of the states had chances of stockpiling a lot of ventilators.\u00a0 They didn\u2019t do it.\u00a0 And I think we\u2019re doing a very good job in helping them out.<\/p>\n<p>Please, Jeff.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And it\u2019s a very fair question.\u00a0 I understand that question very well.<\/p>\n<p>Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 To follow up on what you and the others have been saying today about it being a deadly week or two coming: Can you give us a sense, or perhaps Dr. Birx, of what that means, numerically?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Sure.\u00a0 I\u2019d like to ask also.\u00a0 Yeah, I\u2019d like to say we know pretty much the line of attack.\u00a0 We know the numbers.\u00a0 The numbers are the numbers.\u00a0 They seem to be checking out, unfortunately.\u00a0 Or in some cases, you know, they\u2019re on the low side, which we\u2019re very happy.\u00a0 We want to keep them on the very low side, and that\u2019s where we\u2019re headed.\u00a0 And I think that\u2019s maybe where we\u2019re headed.<\/p>\n<p>But I\u2019d like to ask maybe you and Tony, what are \u2014 where is the \u2014 where is the week or the number of days of greatest attack?\u00a0 What will be our worst day?\u00a0 If that\u2019s possible to determine.\u00a0 I think that\u2019s what you\u2019re asking, right?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 And how many deaths exactly are you expecting?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 So as you can look in the places that are the most difficult hit right now \u2014 the Detroit area, the New York area, the Louisiana area \u2014 and we are doing it by the counties in those states because there are \u2014 mostly, it\u2019s metro areas and the bedroom communities around those metro areas, because people went to work and got exposed, and came home and exposed other.<\/p>\n<p>If you look out in New York now, you see that it\u2019s in Long Island and it\u2019s out in Suffolk County and Nassau County.<\/p>\n<p>All of those counties, Wayne and Oakland, they\u2019re all on the upside of their curve of mortality.\u00a0 So you know when you get to the peak, you come down the other side.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And when will that peak be?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 So by the predictions that are in that Healthdata.org, they\u2019re predicting in those three hotspots, all of them, hitting together in the next six to seven days.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So are you thinking maybe tens of thousands of deaths in that period of time?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 You can go to the website.\u00a0 It\u2019s variable.\u00a0 Each one of those communities is different.\u00a0 But you know where New York is, how much their mortality has been.\u00a0 And you know \u2014 what we\u2019re seeing today are the people who were infected two or three weeks ago.<\/p>\n<p>If mitigation in New York worked \u2014 and we believe it is working \u2014 the cases are going to start to go down, but the mortality will be a lag behind that because of the comorbidities and other conditions.<\/p>\n<p>So that\u2019s why all of the predictions are that this next week \u2014 and I think we said this last Sunday when we talked about the charts \u2014 and it\u2019s difficult, and we tried to prepare the American people to understand that you have to \u2014 as much as you go up, you have to come down the other side, because coming down is a reflection of the cases that were coming in before.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Would you rather not say a number?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 I\u2019d rather not say a number, but the numbers are available if you go to the website.\u00a0 I mean, you can see that there\u2019s several hundreds per day in New York.\u00a0 And I think Governor Cuomo has talked about that increasing still into the five, six, seven hundred range a day.\u00a0 So, you know, that\u2019s very concerning to us.<\/p>\n<p>We, again, applaud the healthcare workers who are doing every single thing humanly possible to save more lives.\u00a0 And we are ensuring on a ventilator by ventilator, day by day, to get them there so that we can say and we can be there when they need it, because we are supposed to be that group that comes in after all of the resources are exhausted.<\/p>\n<p>And we really applaud what Oregon did, and we really applaud what the governor is doing about moving between the states, between the different counties, to bring them to New York, because that\u2019s what\u2019s needed today.\u00a0 A different place will be needed tomorrow.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You mentioned \u2014 just to follow up on something apparently you said yesterday, that you had some concerns about Pennsylvania, Colorado, and Washington, D.C.\u00a0 Could you expand on that?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 We\u2019re watching them because they are starting to go on that upside of the curve.\u00a0 We\u2019re hoping and believing that if people mitigate strongly, the work that they did over the last two weeks will blunt that curve and they won\u2019t have the same upward slope and peak that New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, and part of Rhode Island are having.<\/p>\n<p>So this is a very important \u2014 the next two weeks are extraordinarily important, and that\u2019s why I think you\u2019ve heard from Dr. Fauci, from myself, from the President, and the Vice President that this is the moment to do everything that you can on the presidential guidelines.\u00a0 This is the moment to not be going to the grocery store, not be going to the pharmacy, but doing everything you can to keep your family and your friends safe.\u00a0 And that means everybody doing the six-feet distancing, washing your hands.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Good.\u00a0 Thanks.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Doctor?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Doctor, you want to \u2014<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 So, I mean, ditto to everything that Dr. Birx said, but also to emphasize why it\u2019s so important to do that: because we\u2019re looking at three or four really key hotspots that are still going up.\u00a0 It\u2019s absolutely essential that the ones that are down at that lower level that Dr. Birx showed the other day \u2014 those communities where they\u2019re still going up \u2014 we\u2019ve got to make sure we don\u2019t have multiple waves of peaks.<\/p>\n<p>That\u2019s going to be the answer to the question of when we can start pulling back.\u00a0 Because if you keep having multiple peaks and different waves, that\u2019s going to make it very difficult.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So does more need to be done \u2014<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 No, I mean \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 to make sure those areas are doing it?<\/p>\n<p>DR. FAUCI:\u00a0 Put your foot on the \u2014 exactly what I said just before and I keep repeating: Just make sure everybody does at least the minimal amount of that physical separation, because the virus has no place to go if you\u2019re physically separated.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And one of the reasons that I keep talking about hydroxychloroquine is that the question that nobody ever asks, and the question that I most hate the answer to, is: \u201cWhat happens if you do have a ventilator?\u00a0 What are your chances?\u201d<\/p>\n<p>And I just hope that hydroxychloroquine wins, coupled with perhaps the Z-Pak, as we call it \u2014 dependent totally on your doctors and the doctors there \u2014 because you know the answer to that question.\u00a0 If you do have the ventilator, you know the answer to that question.\u00a0 And I hate giving the answer.<\/p>\n<p>So I don\u2019t want to get them there.\u00a0 I don\u2019t want to get them there.\u00a0 There\u2019s a possibility \u2014 a possibility \u2014 and I say it: What do you have to lose?\u00a0 I\u2019ll say it again: What do you have to lose?\u00a0 Take it.\u00a0 I really think they should take it.\u00a0 But it\u2019s their choice and it\u2019s their doctor\u2019s choice, or the doctors in the hospital.\u00a0 But hydroxychloroquine \u2014 try it, if you\u2019d like.<\/p>\n<p>The other thing: If you have a heart condition, I understand.\u00a0 Probably you stay away from the Z-Pak.\u00a0 But that\u2019s an antibiotic.\u00a0 It can clean out the lungs.\u00a0 The lungs are a point of attack for this horrible virus.<\/p>\n<p>But when you have a ventilator, don\u2019t ask the answer because I hate it.\u00a0 If you have it, and it\u2019s working beautifully \u2014 I don\u2019t like the answer, because it\u2019s not a very high percentage.<\/p>\n<p>So I want to keep them out of ventilators.\u00a0 I want to keep them \u2014 if this drug works, it will be not a game changer, because that\u2019s not a nice enough term; it will be wonderful.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be so beautiful.\u00a0 It\u2019ll be a gift from heaven if it works.\u00a0 Because when people go into those ventilators, you know the answers, I know the answers, and I\u2019m glad you don\u2019t write about it.<\/p>\n<p>Mike, please.<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Well, you\u2019ve heard from the experts what our task force has heard: that it\u2019s going to be a difficult week for the American people.\u00a0 You will see testing increased around the country and so cases are going to continue to rise across America.<\/p>\n<p>And before I give a few facts relevant to an earlier question about ventilators, let me just \u2014 let me add my voice to what the President just said and what all the physicians who have spoken have said: Even though we see the losses rising in the days ahead, do not be discouraged, because there is evidence across the country that Americans have been putting the social distancing and mitigation into practice, and it is making a difference.\u00a0 We are seeing it in the new cases that are being reported.<\/p>\n<p>Because remember, people, families that have experienced loss \u2014 up to this day and in the next week \u2014 have a loved one who contracted the coronavirus, in most cases, more than two weeks ago; in many cases, before social distancing and mitigation efforts were put into effect.<\/p>\n<p>And so we want to encourage you: Believe in the President\u2019s Coronavirus Guidelines for America.\u00a0 Go to Coronavirus.gov.\u00a0 Print them off again, put them on the refrigerator, and remind yourself to put them into practice.<\/p>\n<p>On the subject of ventilators, if I can amplify the point the President made: Our team at FEMA is doing a remarkable job working with governors, state health officials, and local hospitals, particularly focused on our priority areas.\u00a0 We\u2019ll refer to the New York metro area, which includes New Jersey and Connecticut.\u00a0 We\u2019re focused on the New Orleans metro area and Louisiana.\u00a0 We\u2019re focusing on Detroit, we\u2019re focusing on Chicago.\u00a0 These are the areas where we see the significant rise in cases.<\/p>\n<p>And we are surging supplies \u2014 specifically ventilators, but all personal protective equipment \u2014 from FEMA to those areas.\u00a0 And just to give you a couple of examples: I spoke to governors in New York, New Jersey, Louisiana, Massachusetts Michigan, and Maryland today, alone.\u00a0 And in those cases, Governor Cuomo is actually assessing all of the available ventilators.<\/p>\n<p>We\u2019ve sent 4,400 ventilators already to New York.\u00a0 As has already been referenced, they\u2019re going to receive a shipment of over 1,000 from overseas.\u00a0 And allow me to say as I told her personally today, the governor of Oregon, Governor Kate Brown: Her unilateral decision to send 140 ventilators because Oregon \u2014 they felt Oregon today is in a place where they could give those ventilators to New York, to me was in the very highest American tradition of loving your neighbor.<\/p>\n<p>And when I talked to Governor Cuomo, Mr. President, he actually told me they never asked Oregon for the ventilators, and Governor Brown hadn\u2019t even called him to tell him that she was doing that.\u00a0 It really is remarkable.<\/p>\n<p>And I talked to Governor Hogan today \u2014 and the President and I will be speaking to all of America\u2019s governors on Monday again \u2014 I told him how inspired I was and how he ought to spread the word to other governors in areas where they can \u2014 where they can spare resources to be joining with us at the federal level and providing them to states at the point of the need.<\/p>\n<p>But just a few for-instances: As we track New Jersey, as I told Governor Phil Murphy, we deployed 200 ventilators to New Jersey today.<\/p>\n<p>Louisiana \u2014 where we\u2019re monitoring literally hour by hour what\u2019s taking place in New Orleans with some encouraging news, but still great challenges \u2014 yesterday, you heard the President say that we deployed 330,000 gowns that have been delivered to the public health systems and hospitals there, and 200 ventilators.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke to Governor Charlie Baker today and was able to inform him we\u2019re watching Boston area very closely.\u00a0 A hundred ventilators are deploying today.<\/p>\n<p>I spoke to Governor Gretchen Whitmer today.\u00a0 Detroit is experiencing a significant number of cases.\u00a0 We\u2019re watching it carefully.\u00a0 And today, FEMA directed 300 ventilators to Michigan.<\/p>\n<p>Again, as the President said, we\u2019re all working our hearts out.\u00a0 But what I want to say to American families and what I want to say to healthcare workers is that we are going to identify the resources, leave no stone unturned, and we are going to \u2014 we are going to focus resources on those areas in the order that they emerge.<\/p>\n<p>Now, the last thought is \u2014 back on mitigation \u2014 we are hoping that we do not see other major cities in the country experience what Seattle experienced, what a Greater New York City area is experiencing, what the New Orleans is experiencing.\u00a0 And that\u2019s all in the hands of the American people today.<\/p>\n<p>And so I just want to encourage you, again: Coronavirus.gov.\u00a0 Put into practice the President\u2019s coronavirus guidelines and you will do your part to save lives, protect the American people, and ensure that we will have the resources to meet this moment wherever the need should arise.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, you spoke earlier on the SBA\u2019s loan program that got up and running yesterday.\u00a0 But we\u2019re hearing from a lot of small-business owners a lot of concerns about whether they will get this money.\u00a0 Some say some of the banks weren\u2019t ready to start processing loans.\u00a0 Some banks are layering \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 That\u2019s so false.\u00a0 We\u2019re way ahead of schedules.\u00a0 The banks have been great.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Some banks are layering extra restrictions on people.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 JPMorgan Chase.\u00a0 Bank of America.\u00a0 They\u2019re so far ahead.\u00a0 This is typical with you, in particular.\u00a0 \u201cWe hear they\u2019re behind\u2026\u201d\u00a0 They\u2019re not behind.\u00a0 It\u2019s been a flawless \u2014 it\u2019s been flawless, so far.\u00a0 Far beyond our expectations.\u00a0 You should say, \u201cI hear you\u2019re doing well, but maybe\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n<p>I don\u2019t even hear of any glitch.\u00a0 They\u2019ve done billions of dollars of loans to small business.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Can you ensure people they will get their money, sir?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 And these are great loans.\u00a0 These are loans that get immediately paid off.\u00a0 These are loans that get businesses back.<\/p>\n<p>I wish you could ask a question where something is working so well.\u00a0 Now, maybe things won\u2019t work well, and I don\u2019t mind that kind.\u00a0 But where something is working so well and you ask a question in such a negative way \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Uh, it\u2019s doing great.\u00a0 Yeah, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Some banks are adding extra rules, sir, for \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 It\u2019s doing great.\u00a0 Really good.\u00a0 Maybe it won\u2019t in two weeks, and I\u2019ll respond differently.\u00a0 But it\u2019s doing great.\u00a0 You know it and so does everyone else.\u00a0 Everyone is shocked how well it\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, Dr. Birx has mentioned in the past \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Who did?<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dr. Birx.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yes.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 some demographics such as seeing that men might be more susceptible to the virus, seeing in Europe more cases among the between 30 and 50 class.\u00a0 Has the data that you\u2019ve seen in the past two weeks changed that assessment?\u00a0 Are men more susceptible?\u00a0 What are you seeing?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 I don\u2019t think it changed much, has it?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 No, it\u2019s the same pattern as Europe.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 It\u2019s the same pattern.\u00a0 Same answer that we\u2019ve given you for the last \u2014<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 So that includes \u2014 that includes folks with \u2014 between 30 and 50 being more adversely affected than what we\u2019ve seen in Asia?<\/p>\n<p>DR. BIRX:\u00a0 No, I \u2014 tomorrow, I\u2019ll bring you all the graphs back so you can it (inaudible).<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We can bring an updated graph, but it\u2019s very similar.<\/p>\n<p>Please.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, a few days ago you talked about possibly restricting flights from hotspots.\u00a0 Where are you on that ways of thinking now?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We\u2019re looking at it very seriously.\u00a0 Right now, we\u2019re dealing with governors, we\u2019re dealing with airlines, we\u2019re dealing with a lot of different factors.\u00a0 It\u2019s a very difficult decision.\u00a0 We\u2019re also doing testing getting into planes.\u00a0 Very strong testing.\u00a0 States are doing testing of people that leave planes because they don\u2019t want to have people coming in who are infected.<\/p>\n<p>So understanding that \u2014 and the level of testing has been enormous.\u00a0 Okay?\u00a0 And some states are saying you have to go in quarantine for two weeks if you come from certain areas.\u00a0 So, knowing that, we\u2019re working with the governors.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Mr. President, what kind of tests \u2014 when you say \u201ctesting,\u201d do you mean domestic travel or people coming in from outside the country?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Both.\u00a0 Both.\u00a0 Some states are doing when they land \u2014 they\u2019re doing very strong, very powerful testing.<\/p>\n<p>Please, go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 You know, we\u2019ve talked to some airlines, sir, and they say they don\u2019t know what you\u2019re talking about when you say that.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 okay, well, then you\u2019ll check them again.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One last question on ventilators.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Governments are doing too \u2014 our government.<\/p>\n<p>Go ahead.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One last question on ventilators.\u00a0 The governor of New York said that he received donation in ventilators from Jack Ma of Alibaba, which I think is your friend.\u00a0 Would you call on the business community to donate ventilators, not necessarily to New York, but other states like Louisiana \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 Yeah, I would.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 \u2014 and Michigan?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 No, Jack Ma is a friend of mine and he\u2019s made it very possible to get about 1,000 from ventilators from China.\u00a0 But that was from him and my other friend.\u00a0 It was really a gift, and we appreciate it very much.\u00a0 It was very nice of them.<\/p>\n<p>All right.\u00a0 I think we\u2019ve had enough.<\/p>\n<p>Q\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 One more?<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT:\u00a0 We\u2019ll be seeing you very soon.\u00a0 And I\u2019m sure that you know that all of us are going to be working very hard.\u00a0 We\u2019re working very hard.\u00a0 We are really coming up into a time that\u2019s going to be very horrendous, probably a time like we haven\u2019t seen in this country.\u00a0 Wouldn\u2019t you say?\u00a0 I mean, I don\u2019t think we\u2019ve seen a time like this in the country.<\/p>\n<p>And we\u2019re getting to that \u2014 that point where it\u2019s going to really be some very bad numbers.\u00a0 And we want to keep those numbers a lot lower than they would have been.\u00a0 And we will do that.<\/p>\n<p>We have tremendous talent working.\u00a0 We have tremendous people, and that includes governors; that includes everybody. Everybody is working.<\/p>\n<p>But unfortunately, we\u2019re getting to that time when the numbers are going to peak, and it\u2019s not going to be a good-looking situation.\u00a0 I really believe we probably have never seen anything like these kind of numbers.\u00a0 Maybe during the war, during the \u2014 a World War, or a World War One or Two or something.\u00a0 But this is a war all unto itself.\u00a0 And it\u2019s \u2014 it\u2019s a terrible thing.<\/p>\n<p>We will be seeing you soon.\u00a0 We\u2019ll keep you totally abreast.\u00a0 We\u2019re also going to be releasing new ventilator numbers, because we have a lot of them coming and a lot of them going to different locations.<\/p>\n<p>And we appreciate it very much.\u00a0 Thank you.\u00a0 Thank you.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;It\u2019s a busy time.\u00a0 Very busy time.\u00a0 And let me begin by again expressing our support, solidarity, and love for the people of our great country.\u00a0 We\u2019re fighting for you and we\u2019re enduring all of this together.\u00a0 And we will soon prevail together.\u00a0 We\u2019re making a lot of progress. We appreciate all of the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":98632,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,33,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-98631","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-health-fitness","category-news","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/Fullscreen-capture-452020-31325-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98631","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=98631"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/98631\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/98632"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=98631"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=98631"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=98631"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}