It was his first real trip in over six weeks. Anxious to give the image of a country that is starting up again, Donald Trump left Tuesday the White House to go to Arizona, where, faithful to his habit, he chose not to wear a mask. At the same time, Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that the White House coronavirus task force will be disbanded in the coming weeks.
"I'm not saying that everything is perfect. (…) Are some people going to be hit hard? Yes. But we have to open our country and we have to open it soon, ”said Donald Trump from a Honeywell respirator factory in Phoenix. "Now we are reopening our country and this is going to be something very special," he added, saying the Americans were "warriors" ready for this "new phase of the battle."
Questioned shortly after on ABC News, he was even more explicit. Does he think that "lives will be lost in order to reopen the economy"? "It is possible that it will happen because we will not be confined to our homes," he replied. If the United States has just crossed the milestone of 70,000 coronavirus-related deaths and could reach that of 100,000 before the beginning of June, the White House has been concentrating for several days its message on the ongoing deconfinement.
No mask for Trump
After suggesting the opposite, Donald Trump presented himself among the workers, all wearing masks without wearing one himself, containing protective glasses, to the sound of the song Live and let die .
They are also, somewhat inappropriately, blasting 'Live and let die' over the factory sound system pic.twitter.com/A11qkUla2F
- Zach Purser Brown (@zachjourno) May 5, 2020In early April, the Republican billionaire had stressed that he did not intend, personally, to comply with this recommendation of the health authorities to wear a mask. Vice President Mike Pence has been widely criticized for not wearing a mask while visiting a clinic in Minnesota, in violation of the facility's regulations. Sunday evening, he admitted that he had made a mistake.
Coronavirus task force soon to be dismantled
Asked about the numerous projections that do not predict an end to contagion during the summer, Mr. Trump once again defended his decisions since the start of the pandemic. "We just got it," he said.
The US curve has looked flat for a few weeks, but that changes if you take out the country's hardest-hit region. Outside of New York City, the number of new coronavirus cases per day is still on the rise. https://t.co/h79AjDP7sg pic.twitter.com/uB9h9QQZ3V
- Lauren Leatherby (@LaurenLeatherby) May 5, 2020The balance sheet of the United States hides great disparities, as in Europe. Large initial outbreaks, such as New York and New Jersey, are seeing contagion decline. In Texas, Illinois and the Washington region, the number of new cases is increasing. In California and Florida, it stagnates.
Evidence of the executive's desire to mark the start of a new chapter, Vice President Mike Pence said that the crisis unit on the Covid-19, which he heads, should be dismantled in the coming weeks . Would Donald Trump be tempted to say "Mission accomplished"? "No, no, mission accomplished, it's when it's over," he replied. "We cannot keep our country closed for the next five years," defended Donald Trump. The American president assured however that he would continue to consult the scientists, but one should not see any more a daily point with the doctors Anthony Fauci or Deborah Birx.
Reporter: If the virus is going to have a resurgence, why are you now winding down the coronavirus task force?
Trump: "Well, because we can't keep our country closed for the next five years." pic.twitter.com/C6w4aaoNne
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