In an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Tuesday evening, President Trump laid out “two concepts” his administration is considering in how they approach easing coronavirus social-distancing measures and reopening the economy: a regional versus a nationwide approach.
During the interview (video below), Trump discussed several coronavirus-related topics, including promising anecdotal reports on the use of a malaria treatment drug hydroxychloroquine, which Trump has repeatedly pointed to as a potential treatment for severe cases and for which he has been hammered by the left-leaning media. But the moment that has gained the most attention in the interview is Trump’s talk of getting the economy back on track — perhaps with “a big bang.”
Asked by Hannity if the re-opening of the country would be decided “geographically” and include widespread “antibody testing” and “temperature taking” to avoid a “massive rebound,” Trump responded by addressing the two approaches his administration is currently considering.
“We’re starting to look at it very, very thoroughly, we have some great people looking at it because we want to get this country open,” Trump responded. “We have to get our country open again. This [country] wasn’t designed to have this — you crack it, you crack it in half. It’s no good.”
“We’ll be open again much sooner rather than later,” the president vowed.
“I’d love to open with a big bang, one beautiful country and just open,” Trump told Hannity, though he suggested that the “big bang” might not be the best approach.
“We’re looking at two concepts,” Trump explained. “We’re looking at the concept where you open up sections, and we’re also looking at the concept where you open up everything.”
The problem, Trump explained, is some of the harder hit areas, like New York and New Jersey, which may take longer to stabilize than less-affected parts of the country.
The president said his administration plans to announce their ideas to the public “in the near future” and noted that some of the hardest hit areas appear to be plateauing in terms of cases. He also noted the positive news that the number of hospitals beds expected to be needed to address the crisis has been radically reduced according to models based on downgraded projections of total cases and deaths.
In the two weeks after a series of state-mandated “stay-at-home” orders and industry lockdowns, nearly 10 million Americans filed for unemployment. The jobless claims in each of the two weeks (3.3 million and 6.6 million, respectively) dwarfed the previous historic high of jobless claims in a week, which was 695,000 in 1982.
The morning after his interview with Hannity, Trump took to social media to offer the American people some optimism amid the economy-crushing crisis.
“Once we OPEN UP OUR GREAT COUNTRY, and it will be sooner rather than later, the horror of the Invisible Enemy, except for those that sadly lost a family member or friend, must be quickly forgotten,” the president tweeted. “Our Economy will BOOM, perhaps like never before!!!”
Video below via Fox News:
Related: Limbaugh: Many Fear Economic Destruction More Than The Virus, Here’s Why They’re Right To