WASHINGTON – President Trump returned to the podium for another White House coronavirus briefing on Wednesday night, which appeared a second time without his health experts.
Unlike his appearances at the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic that ended abruptly in April, Trump spoke for just 21 minutes and implored Americans to wear a mask and wash their hands.
“I believe in it,” Trump said, pulling a navy blue mask out of his pocket. “I have it.”
“I think you want to travel in a mask. There are cases where you can really use it. I think it would be a good thing, “he continued.
For the second night in a row, it also encouraged younger Americans to avoid crowded bars. “We are all in this together,” he said.
The president brought in his nightly reports on Tuesday after a months-long hiatus.
Trump touted his administration’s progress in fighting the pandemic, even as cases continue to rise, and told reporters “we believe we have a winner” in a new Pfizer vaccine for which the feds have just ordered $ 2 billion.
The President also announced that his administration would be investing additional resources in the fight against infections in nursing homes, including additional funding of $ 5 billion to help support the new testing requirements.
Trump repeated his calls for schools across the country to reopen and asked if he was prepared to send his own son, Barron, and grandchildren back to the classroom, saying, “Yes, I am comfortable with that.”
Notably absent from the briefing was the White House coronavirus task force, including Dr. Deborah Birx, who was just outside the West Wing, interviewing Fox News moments later.
On Tuesday, Dr. Anthony Fauci told CNN that he had not been invited to attend the restarted events, but Trump said on Wednesday that the couple were in constant contact.
“They are informing me. I am meeting with them. I just spoke to Dr. Fauci, and Dr. Birx is outside and they are giving me everything they know, “Trump told reporters.
“I’m giving you the information, and I think it’s probably a very concise way to do it, it seems to be working very well,” he continued.
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