President Trump Speaks on Coronavirus

In a live address from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, President Trump called the U.S. coronavirus response “the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history.”

Trump said there will be a 30-day freeze on all inbound flights from Europe. He credited his administration’s early-phase travel restrictions on China for helping to restrict the spread of the virus in the U.S., noting that the E.U. failed to take similar action. “The European Union failed to take the same precautions and restrict travel from China and other hot spots,” Trump said, “As a result, a large number of new clusters in the United States were seeded by travelers from Europe.” The president said that extensive consultations with top health officials convinced him to impose restrictions on inbound flights from Europe. “We are at a critical time in the fight against the virus. We made a life-saving move with early action on China. Now we must take the same action with Europe.” The E.U. travel ban will go into effect Friday night at midnight.

The president said the U.S. healthcare sector is ready to respond. He said health insurance industry leaders have agreed to waive all co-payments for coronavirus treatments and extend insurance coverage to include such treatments. Last week, Trump signed an $8.3 billion spending package that included funding for vaccines and other medical supplies. He said his administration is opening up the private sector so that it can respond to the outbreak more effectively. “We are cutting massive amounts of red tape to make anti-viral therapies available in record time,” said Trump, “These treatments will significantly reduce the impact and reach of the virus.”

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President Trump's Oval Office Address on Coronavirus; Wednesday March 11, 2020#MiniTuesday #MAGA 🇺🇸 #Trump #NRA https://t.co/iBGSVPhBe3

— VotingFemale 🇺🇸 (@VotingFemaIe) March 12, 2020

Trump also addressed the virus’s potential economic impact and detailed plans for containing it. The Small Business Administration will provide additional capital and liquidity to companies that are affected by the coronavirus. SBA loans will be available in all affected states and territories, effective immediately. He asked Congress for an additional $50 billion to fund the program. The president also promised that he would soon take “unprecedented’ action to provide financial relief for hourly workers who are ill, quarantined, or caring for others due to coronavirus.

In addition, Trump said he will use emergency authority to instruct the Treasury Department to defer tax payments without interest or penalties for certain individuals and businesses that have been negatively impacted by the outbreak. “This action will provide more than $200 billion of additional liquidity to the economy,” Trump said. He also urged Congress to slash payroll taxes immediately.

The president encouraged Americans to practice good hygiene and follow the government’s instructions during this crisis. “Smart action today will prevent the spread of the virus tomorrow,” he said, “Each of us has a role to play in defeating this virus. Wash your hands, clean often-used surfaces, cover your face and mouth if you sneeze or cough, and most of all if you are sick or not feeling well, stay home.” He also told Americans what to expect if they’re ever infected, “The vast majority of Americans, the risk is very, very low. Young and healthy people can expect to recover fully and quickly if they should get the virus.” However, Trump cautioned that certain at-risk segments of the population need to be extremely careful. “The highest risk is for elderly population with underlying health conditions,” he said.

Besides detailing the federal response, Trump did his best to keep the nation calm. “This is not a financial crisis; this is just a temporary moment of time that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world,” he said, alluding to the recent stock market sell-off. “Because of the economic policies that we have put into place over the last three years, we have the greatest economy anywhere in the world by far. Our banks and financial institutions are fully capitalized and incredibly strong. Our unemployment is at a historic low. This vast economic prosperity gives us flexibility, reserves, and resources to handle any threat that comes our way.”

Trump concluded his statement by extending an olive branch to his political opponents; calling for unity and cooperation during this time of crisis. “We must put politics aside, stop the partisanship, and unify together as one nation and one family,” he said, “As history has proven time and time again, Americans always rise to the challenge and overcome adversity. Our future remains brighter than anyone could imagine. Acting with compassion and love, we will heal the sick, care for those in need, help our fellow citizens and emerge from this challenge stronger and more unified than ever before.”

Trump’s statement was intended to reassure the American public. To what extent he achieved that goal is debatable, but there’s no arguing that the coronavirus frenzy has officially reached new heights. The federal government is officially in full-scale crisis response mode, but at least Trump is taking drastic action to limit the virus’s impact on the public’s health and the U.S. economy.

The president closed his address with a request to the big man upstairs, “God bless you, and God bless America. Thank you.”