2:44
- ABC News
- April 22, 2020
Trump says 'too soon' for Georgia to reopen
"But he has to do what he thinks is right," he said he told Gov. Brian Kemp.
2:44
\"What the doctor was saying, and I spoke to him at great length, he was saying if it should come back, you have the flu and the embers of corona, but in my opinion from everything I've seen, it can never be like anything like we witnessed right now,\" the president said, predicting the novel coronavirus may not come back at all, and if it does it will be in \"embers\" or \"pockets.\"
\"It's nothing like -- what we've just gone through, we will not go through. You could have some embers of corona and a big flu system and if they combine and come together, it's not great but we will not go through what we went through for the last two months,\" Trump added. \"It might not come back at all. He's talking about a worst-case scenario where you have a big flu and you have some corona.\"
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Speaking after Redfield, White House coronavirus response coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx said that if the coronavirus returned in the fall, medical professionals would be able to find it earlier.
\"When we first interacted with this virus for the first time in the February and March timeframe, we didn't have an understanding of its transmissibility all of its symptoms. We do now,\" Birx said.
While she did not respond to the president saying that a second wave of coronavirus would not be \"anything near what we went through,\" Birx said the country would be prepared.
\"(We are) preparing for that potential right now,\" she said.
Later in the briefing, Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, contradicted Trump, telling reporters that he is \"convinced\" the coronavirus will have a resurgence this fall.
\"I am convinced of that because of the degree of transmissibility that it has, the global nature,\" he said.
While Fauci said the virus would return, he also agreed with Trump and Birx that the U.S. would be better prepared to confront it.
\"What happens with that will depend on how we are able to contain it when it occurs. And what we are saying is that in the fall, we will be much, much better prepared to do the kind of containment compared to what happened to us this winter,\" he said.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/white-house-coronavirus-briefing-04-gty-jc-200422_hpEmbed_3x2_384.jpg\")
Switching gears to the new White House guidance on reopening, Trump said it's been \"encouraging\" and \"beautiful\" to watch states lift restrictions and reminded that specific plans for reopening will be left up to individual governors.
\"It's been encouraging to watch states begin to open up and it has been -- it's a beautiful thing to see as restrictions are lifted -- we must maintain vigilance and continue practicing social distancing,\" Trump said. \"The governors are going to adhere or do what they think is best. I want them to do what they think is best.\"
As the U.S. death toll passed 46,000 Wednesday, a key model from the University of Washington used by the White House is now suggesting a dozen states -- including Georgia -- wait until at least June 8 to relax current measures.
Trump said he spoke to GOP Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia last night and criticized his decision to reopen several different businesses amid the outbreak.
\"I told the governor of Georgia, Brian Kemp, that I disagree strongly with his decision to open certain facilities which are in violation of the phase one guidelines for the incredible people of Georgia they're incredible people,\" he said.
Kemp has faced backlash since announcing he would allow nail salons, massage parlors, bowling alleys and gyms to open on Friday.
\"It's just too soon. I think it's too soon,\" Trump said, \"safety has to predominate.\"
\"I told the governor very simply that I disagree with his decision, but he has to do what he thinks is right,\" he added, sticking to his stance that the decisions should be left to the states.
Fauci then weighed in, saying, \"The mitigation that we out in with the first 15 days and then the 30 day mitigation program of physical distancing worked. So it got us to where we are today. It is a successful formula. It is the basis for our being able to say that we can now think seriously about reopening America.\"
He reminded that the reopening program is not going to be like a \"light switch\" across the country and cautioned governors to proceed in a \"very careful, measured way.\"
\"I know there's an urge we all have to get out there and get it over with. Let's get back to normal for a lot of good reasons, because there's a lot of suffering, economic and otherwise,\" Fauci said.
\"As I pleaded early on, weeks ago, I pleaded with the American public, governors, mayors. Although I know one has the tendency to leapfrog over things, don't do that. Do it in a measured way. This is a successful formula,\" he said.
Asked directly about Kemp's decision to start reopening businesses with physical contact on Friday, Fauci said, \"I would advise him as a health official and as a physician not to do that.\"
Dr. Fauci urges Americans to \"carefully consider how we get back to normal.\"
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 22, 2020
\"The problem is if we don't do that, there is a likelihood that we will have a rebound and the one way not to reopen the economy is to have a rebound that we can't take care of.\" https://t.co/phERRQQEFj pic.twitter.com/9B4j3l9duu
When ABC Chief White House Correspondent Jonathan Karl asked the president about the head of the federal agency in charge of producing a COVID-19 vaccine claiming he was pushed out of his job this week because he raised questions about hydroxychloroquine and other treatments touted by the president, Trump said he was unaware.
\"I've never heard of him. You just mentioned a name. I never heard of him. When did this happen?\" Trump said. \"No, I never heard of him. If the guy says he was pushed out of a job, maybe he was. Maybe he wasn't. You'd have to hear the other side. I don't know who he is.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/white-house-coronavirus-briefing-05-gty-jc-200422_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Dr. Rick Bright, who headed the federal agency overseeing the COVID-19 vaccine effort until this week, said Wednesday he was removed from his federal post as retaliation after he pushed for more vetting and wouldn't promote unproven coronavirus treatments touted by President Trump.
In a statement first reported by the New York Times, Bright said, \"I am speaking out because to combat this deadly virus, science -- not politics or cronyism -- has to lead the way.\"
After President Trump for weeks touted the promise of the anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine as a potential \"game changer\" in the treatment for COVID-19 against the advice of his own public health officials, he has brushed off questions this week that the drug is performing poorly.
Rick Bright, head of federal agency charged with overseeing rapid production of a COVID-19 vaccine, claims he was removed from post after trying to push back against \"cronyism.\"
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 22, 2020
President Trump claims he's \"never heard\" of Bright when asked by @jonkarl. https://t.co/s6v8N9D0CJ pic.twitter.com/qWHdqs4P43
Trump confirmed that he had signed an \"executive order\" that will temporarily suspend immigration into the United States, although a White House document called it a \"proclamation.\"
\"In order to protect our great American workers I've just signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States. This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs as our economy reopens,\" Trump said.
The announcement has ignited both confusion and outrage since Tuesday as the consequences of the order remain unclear with advocacy groups fearing a greater crackdown on vulnerable immigrants.
\"I've just signed it just before coming into the room,\" Trump said.
\"As to amending it or extending it, that we can do at the appropriate time, but it's now signed,\" he added.
President Trump: \"In order to protect our great American workers, I've just signed an executive order temporarily suspending immigration into the United States. This will ensure that unemployed Americans of all backgrounds will be first in line for jobs.\" https://t.co/phERRQQEFj pic.twitter.com/DgcsHoUtJp
— ABC News Politics (@ABCPolitics) April 22, 2020
From earlier today:
At a tree-planting ceremony at the White House to mark the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, President Trump announced national parks and public lands would \"quickly\" start to be reopened.
\"Thanks to our significant progress against the invisible enemy, I'm pleased to announce that in line with my administration's guidelines for opening up America again, we will begin to reopen our national parks and public lands for the American people to enjoy,\" Trump said. \"That's going to be very exciting.\"
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/president-trump-tree-planting-01-ap-jef-200422_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Vice President Mike Pence clarified that the White House or task force will begin to talk with governors about plans to reopen parks, not that reopening them is imminent, after Interior Secretary David Bernhardt also said the timeline to reopen facilities will \"run right alongside the governors.\"
\"We also celebrate it with a word from the secretary that, at your direction, in the days ahead we will work closely with governors to reopen our national parks so that the American people can enjoy the blessings of those extraordinary places,\" Pence said.
The Interior Department has insisted through the pandemic that decisions about when to close some of the more popular parks were made in coordination with state and local health officials, in many cases deciding to close when the area was put under a mandatory stay-at-home order. Many parks have actually stayed open, despite crowd concerns, and others have discouraged visitors by closing off parking lots and recreational areas.
A department spokesman told ABC News more details will be provided in the coming days on plans to reopen specific parks following guidance from the White House Office Office of Management and Budget and the president's \"Opening Up America Again\" plan.
The president was also joined Wednesday by first lady Melania Trump, second lady Karen Pence, Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy. They used gold-colored shovels to scoop dirt onto the base of a maple tree they planted on the White House South Lawn.
NEW: President Trump participates in #EarthDay tree planting ceremony at the White House. https://t.co/8mtv9mtn5m pic.twitter.com/gwFehlyFY5
— ABC News (@ABC) April 22, 2020
-- ABC News' Ben Gittleson and Stephanie Ebbs
New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, in his daily coronavirus press conference from Albany, called his Oval Office meeting Tuesday with President Trump a \"productive visit\" and said the two have a response plan moving forward despite their political differences.
\"To me, a productive visit means we spoke truth, we spoke facts, we made decisions, and we have a plan going forward. And that was accomplished yesterday, and I feel good about it personally,\" Cuomo said Wednesday.
NEW: New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo says yesterday's meeting with Pres. Trump was \"productive.\"
— ABC News (@ABC) April 22, 2020
\"We spoke truth. We spoke facts. We made decisions. And we have a plan going forward...I feel good about it, personally.\" https://t.co/Zv6MGE4GDW pic.twitter.com/mr2yigY1ou
\"And by the way, these are people in the White House who politically don't like me. That's the fact you see in the president's tweets. He's often tweeted very unkind things about me and my brother. Politically, he does not, we've had conflicts. Back and forth. But we sat with him, sat with his team, and that was put aside,\" Cuomo continued. \"We're not setting up a possible marriage here. Just do the job.\"
Cuomo went on to say that he will not succumb to any political pressure to rush into reopening the state, acknowledging public unrest but saying that \"more people will die if we're not smart\" -- after the president tweeted this morning that the country is starting to \"open for business.\"
\"This is not going to be over anytime soon. I know people want out. I get it. I know people want to get back to work,\" Cuomo said. \"We're not going to have people lose their lives because we acted imprudently.\"
President Trump tweeted this morning to confirm that he intends to sign his promised executive order to \"pause\" green card applications for 60 days.
I will be signing my Executive Order prohibiting immigration into our Country today. In the meantime, even without this order, our Southern Border, aided substantially by the 170 miles of new Border Wall & 27,000 Mexican soldiers, is very tight - including for human trafficking!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 22, 2020
Trump said that in addition to the new order, which appears to fall far short of the total ban he at first teased, security at the southern border \"is very tight.\"
Security at the southern border, which aims to prevent undocumented immigration, and green card applications are two distinct issues -- but as Trump looks to make the connection, it demonstrates that the president is politically eager to tie immigration to the ongoing pandemic.
![\"PHOTO:](\"http://a.abcnews.com/images/Politics/white-house-coronavirus-briefing-01-rtr-jc-200421_hpMain_4x3t_384.jpg\")
Though it was not mentioned in the tweet, Trump said at Tuesday's briefing that the order would not apply to farmers.
The Trump administration also barred asylum seekers from the U.S. last month, citing a drain on the country's medical resources.
-- ABC News' Jordyn Phelps and Quinn Owen
ABC News' Sarah Kolinovsky contributed to this report.