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As it happenedended1587079930

Trump news: President says some states could reopen 'literally tomorrow' as White House taskforce unveils new guidelines

White House plan for 'Opening Up America Again' draws fire as president claims 'national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution'

Alex Woodward,Joe Sommerlad
Thursday 16 April 2020 23:56 BST
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Donald Trump threatens to adjourn both chambers of congress

Donald Trump has said the US will investigate a conspiracy theory surrounding the coronavirus suggesting it originated in a laboratory in Wuhan, China, and was originally intended as a weapon for use in biological warfare, with secretary of state Mike Pompeo urging Beijing to “come clean” on the matter.​

While the president was triggering a new constitutional crisis by threatening to adjourn Congress on Wednesday over a minor political grievance, his supporters were staging protests across the country against ongoing stay-at-home orders, with armed demonstrators chanting “Lock her up!” outside the offices of Michigan governor Gretchen Whitmer.

After teasing out the release of a set of "guidelines" for state and local government to begin reopening during the pandemic, the president unveiled his MAGA-referencing "Opening Up America Again" plan, which he said could allow some states to begin reopening "literally tomorrow" despite criticisms that the plan doesn't offer any worker protections or consistent enforcement to prevent a spike in outbreaks.

He said his guidelines offer a "phased, deliberate approach" for states to re-open businesses, after the president has grown impatient with a stalled economy in the wake of the pandemic.

Mr Trump said "a national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution."

The president told governors on Thursday that "you're going to be calling the shots" despite telling Americans just days earlier that he has "total authority" to end quarantine and other mitigation efforts.

Ronald Klain, who led the Ebola response under former president Barack Obama, said that the "plan" is "barely a PowerPoint."

Meanwhile, the president's approval rating dropped six percentage points within the first weeks of April, marking the largest point drop in his presidency, according to Gallup.

His current 43 per cent rating, however, still hovers above his 40 per cent average.

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Trump ready to re-open US after claims that coronavirus peak is 'behind us': 'America wants to be open'

Donald Trump has issued new federal guidelines for a "phased, deliberate approach" for states to re-open businesses, after the president has grown impatient with a stalled economy in the wake of the pandemic. The strategy is based on "hard, verifiable data," he said at his Thursday briefing.

He said: "A national shutdown is not a sustainable long-term solution."

A return to business as usual is necessary to "preserve the health of citizens," he said. "We're starting our life again, we're starting rejuvenation of our economy again."

Alex Woodward16 April 2020 23:17
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Opening up America again: Read key points from Trump's controversial guidelines

Here are the key points in each of the president's three-phase plans for states to "re-open" during the coronavirus pandemic.

Alex Woodward16 April 2020 23:27
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Obama's former Ebola chief: 'This isn't a plan. It's barely a PowerPoint'

Ronald Klain, who led the Ebola response under former president Barack Obama, has joined criticism over Donald Trump's "opening" guidelines, saying that it's "barely a PowerPoint."

Dr Anthony Fauci stressed that the guidelines are "not a light switch that can be turned on and off."

Underlying criteria to begin entering the "phases" must be "staggered" and rely on several medical and safety "checkpoints," he said.

Alex Woodward16 April 2020 23:51
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Trump: States that have already met guideline criteria can open 'literally tomorrow'

States that have already met Donald Trump's new federal guidelines could begin re-opening "literally tomorrow" during the pandemic, he said.

"Large sections of the country can begin thinking about opening," he said.

He said people who wear masks in Wyoming or North Dakota do so because of people from other states that have not been "successful" combatting the virus.

Alex Woodward16 April 2020 23:55
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Trump: 'People should have told us about this'

Donald Trump — who received several intelligence briefings as early as January, following warnings from international health officials last year, and dismissed his own pandemic response team — said that "people should have told us about this" and "they should've told the rest of the world, too."

His remarks follow reports that he ignored or downplayed reports for several weeks before responding to the coronavirus outbreak before he shifted blame to the World Health Organization, then ultimately suspending funding to the group amid his claims they "covered up" the virus.

Alex Woodward17 April 2020 00:20
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That's it for today's live coverage of the Trump administration and coronavirus response.

Stay tuned with The Independent.

Alex Woodward17 April 2020 00:22

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