President Trump holds his first coronavirus press conference since April on Tuesday as COVID-19 cases rise to the 4 million mark and daily confirmed cases of the virus regularly reach more than 60,000 per day.
The 5 pm ET briefing, which none of the White House coronavirus task force members are expected to attend, also occurs when the White House tries to reassure the American public that it has control over the pandemic despite recent increase in cases.
“He is the right person to give the information to the American people,” said White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany. “And, boy, do you get the information to a lot of American people during your briefings, as the ratings indicate.” “
Trump made regular appearances in March and April during the news briefings of the coronavirus working group that turned into Unmissable TV, but he stopped them abruptly in late April after receiving criticism after comments related to whether sunlight and Disinfectants could cure the contagion. White House staff had also previously urged him to stop attending the briefings.
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The resumption of briefings also comes as the next stage of the federal government’s response to the pandemic was being drawn up on Capitol Hill. Lawmakers and White House officials were initiating negotiations on a $ 4 trillion or more “phase four” rescue package.
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and Chief of Staff Mark Meadows met privately Tuesday with Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer from New York about the new aid package, a day after Trump called Republican leaders into the White House.
Democrats are pushing for the next bill to include funds for electoral protections, while some Republicans have broken with the White House looking for additional federal funds for testing and tracking contacts. Meanwhile, Trump has found few allies in his pressure for a payroll tax cut in the legislation.
As of Tuesday morning, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the country’s leading infectious disease expert, had not been briefed on his role in the briefing. He told NPR that the White House had not told him if he would attend the Trump briefing.
The doctor said he was pleased that Trump has started promoting the use of masks and expressed optimism that the president would reinforce that message on Tuesday.
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“If we, during those conferences, go out and have consistent, clear and non-contradictory messages, I think it will be very helpful for people to get to know the direction we should take to control this pandemic,” he said.
Trump tweeted a photo of himself wearing a face mask on Monday, calling it an act of patriotism, after months of resistance to being seen publicly on the covers.
But McEnany suggested that Trump would not wear a mask in the meeting room, saying that he is the “most tested man in America” for the virus, sometimes tested more than once a day.
Just over three months after Election Day, Trump hopes the podium spotlight will give him an edge against Democratic rival Joe Biden, though his advisers have emphasized the need for a more disciplined public agenda.
In addition to discussing medical developments, he was also expected to focus on his advocacy for schools to reopen in-person education, following his threat to try to withhold federal funds from those who adhere to remote education. And he was sure to predict an economic recovery along the way and go after alleged Democratic nominee Joe Biden, cities led by Democrats and aggressive protesters.
Brooke Singman and The Associated Press of Fox News contributed to this report.
