Trump news: President claims victory over coronavirus and says he's reopening in Easter because 'it's a beautiful time' - not on expert advice
President pushes for return to business as usual within weeks as US deaths climb and New York declared an epicentre of transmission for US
Sign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox
Get our free Inside Washington email
As the World Health Organisation (WHO) warns the US could be the next coronavirus epicentre following a surge in cases and deaths to 43,925 cases and 547 respectively, Donald Trump is under fire for hinting at a return to business as usual within weeks, prioritising the health of the economy over that of Americans.
“We are watching a train wreck in slow motion,” commented former White House ethics chief Walter Shaub. “If Trump carries through on this threat to ‘open’ things up real soon, the death toll will be catastrophic.”
On Capitol Hill, Republican and Democratic senators have assured the public they are “very close” to agreeing terms on a $2trn (£1.7trn) stimulus bill and expect to finalise a deal on Tuesday.
The president appeared to declare victory over the virus — "we win" — as he looks to restart the US economy by Easter, despite no evidence that Americans can safely return to work without spreading the virus within three weeks.
During his White House briefing on Tuesday, the president said: "What timeline this would be."
But pressed on whether anyone in his administration has supported a rushed return to business as usual, the president said he thought it was a "beautiful time" and "based on a certain level of weeks" — but didn't say it was at the recommendation of health officials.
The administration also warned New Yorkers and anyone who recently travelled to the state to self-quarantine for up to two weeks as the city has become an "epicentre" of transmission in the US.
Asked whether the president has consulted with Governor Andrew Cuomo about those guidelines, which would impact millions of people in New York City while non-essential businesses are closed across the state, Mr Trump said the two are "talking".
The governor said he has "exhausted every option available to us" as the state has experienced a surge in confirmed cases, including nearly 15,000 in New York City alone.
"We are not slowing it, and it is accelerating on its own", he said on Tuesday as he dismissed the president's idea for Americans to return to work soon for the sake of the economy, potentially endangering more-vulnerable people and spreading the virus even further.
He said: "That's not the American way. That's not the New York way."
Follow live coverage as it happened
Please allow a moment for our liveblog to load
Trump pushes to re-open US by Easter
Donald Trump says the US is "near the end of our historic battle with our invisible enemy" as he continues to push for the optics-friendly return to normal "by Easter, a special day for many reasons."
"What a great timeline this would be," he said at his White House briefing on Tuesday.
Fauci returns
Notably, Dr Anthony Fauci has returned to the president's side after being absent during White House briefings and reports of his growing frustration with correcting the president's anti-science claims.
The Independent's Chris Riotta reported earlier that the president's top health adviser said that "the idea of pitting one against the other is just not helpful" amid the nationwide Covid-19 outbreak.
Donald Trump, in sharp defiance of his public health team, declared victory on Tuesday over the coronavirus even as the number of confirmed US cases and deaths continue to rise.
White House urging New Yorkers to self-isolate
Dr Anthony Fauci says the rates of coronavirus infection in New York are "disturbing" as officials say evidence suggests people who have left the city are spreading to other parts of the US.
Dr Deborah Birx says the administration is "deeply concerned" about the rates of infections in New York and urged people to self-isolate for two weeks, including people who have visited the state.
Decision to resume US economy 'based on certain level of weeks' not science
Pressed on whether anyone in his administration has supported the president's Easter timeline to resume business as usual, Donald Trump said he thought it was a "beautiful time" and "based on a certain level of weeks" — not recommendations from health officials.
Donald Trump, following his declaration of victory at today's relatively short White House coronavirus briefing, has posted this video of people — not the government — supporting others through the crisis.
We're wrapping up today's live coverage of the Trump administration and the coronavirus response.
Stay tuned with The Independent.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies