Trump Warns Death Toll Could Climb To 100,000 But Reiterates Importance Of Restarting Economy

The New York Times: Trump Foresees Virus Death Toll As High As 100,000 In The United States
President Trump predicted on Sunday night that the death toll from the coronavirus pandemic ravaging the country may reach as high as 100,000 in the United States, far worse than he had forecast just weeks ago, even as he pressed states to reopen the shuttered economy. Mr. Trump, who last month forecast that fatalities from the outbreak could be kept “substantially below the 100,000” mark and probably around 60,000, acknowledged that the virus has proved more devastating than expected. But nonetheless, he said that parks, beaches and some businesses should begin reopening now and that schools should resume classes in person by this fall. (Baker, 5/3)

Reuters: Trump Says Up To 100,000 Americans May Die From Coronavirus
“We’re going to lose anywhere from 75, 80 to 100,000 people. That’s a horrible thing,” said Trump, who as recently on Friday had said he hoped fewer than 100,000 Americans would die and earlier in the week had talked about 60,000 to 70,000 deaths. About half the states have now moved toward at least partial lifting of shutdowns as the number of new cases of the COVID-19 illness has begun to drop or level off and as citizens agitate for relief from restrictions that have sent the economy into a tailspin. (Bose and Schroeder, 5/3)

The Associated Press: Trump Wants To Switch Focus, Push For Economic Reopening
Anxious to spur an economic recovery without risking lives, President Donald Trump insists that “you can satisfy both” — see states gradually lift lockdowns while also protecting people from the coronavirus pandemic that has killed more than 66,000 Americans. The president, fielding questions from Americans Sunday night in a virtual town hall from the Lincoln Memorial, acknowledged valid fears on both sides of the issue. Some people are worried about getting sick; others are reeling from lost jobs and livelihoods. (Superville and LeMire, 5/4)

The Washington Post: Trump Says It’s Safe To Reopen States As Governors Grapple With Loosening Restrictions
President Trump on Sunday sought to reassure Americans that it is safe for states to reopen amid the coronavirus pandemic, offering support to protesters who have railed against the lockdowns across the country. “I really believe that you can go to parks, you can go to beaches . . . [if] you stay away a certain amount,” Trump said during a Fox News Channel town hall at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. (Sonmez, Kornfield and Mettler, 5/3)

Politico: Trump Uses Virtual Town Hall As An Appeal For Reelection 
He didn’t answer questions about how the federal government could aid a small business that didn’t qualify for the Small Business Administration’s Paycheck Protection Program, beyond musing that he would take a look at it and “maybe there is something we can do.” He seized on a question about his bullying rhetoric and answers to the press by bullying the press, arguing that the vast majority of reporters are “hostile” despite, he said, his having “done more than any other president in the history of our country,” like creating a Space Force and combating terrorism. (McCaskill, 5/3)

The Hill: Trump Says Next Coronavirus Relief Bill Has To Include Payroll Tax Cut
President Trump on Sunday said he won't support another round of coronavirus stimulus legislation unless it includes a payroll tax cut, a measure that has muted support among lawmakers in Congress. Trump said during a Fox News virtual town hall that he would like to see a sizable infrastructure bill pass to help revive the economy, which has cratered amid the coronavirus pandemic. But he indicated his long-desired payroll tax cut would have to be part of any talks. (Samuels, 5/3)

Politico: Trump Launches A Coronavirus Recovery Tour Against A Grim Backdrop
President Donald Trump has always preferred to play cheerleader rather than the bearer of bad news. And he’s preparing to spend the coming weeks cheering for a swift economic bounce-back from coronavirus — launching new proposals to accelerate the recovery despite uneasiness among health care experts about the scale of testing, persistent worries from many workers and businesses and a death toll that keeps eclipsing his own expectations. (Cook, 5/4)

Los Angeles Times: As States Reopen, Coronavirus Outbreak Not Over, Experts Say
In recent weeks, Trump has frequently singled out individual states or governors for criticism over stay-at-home policies. He did so again Sunday, tweeting that “many complaints” were coming in about Maine’s stay-at-home orders. “Don’t make the cure worse than the problem itself,” he wrote on Twitter, citing the case of a Maine brewpub that lost its state health and liquor licenses after reopening its doors in defiance of state rules. (King, 5/3)

NBC News: Trump Warns Coronavirus Death Toll Could Reach 100,000
Continuing a key theme in Trump's coronavirus statements, Trump attacked China and suggested that the virus got into the community accidentally. "This should have been stopped in China. If we didn't do it, the minimum we would have lost is a million, two million, four million, five. That's the minimum," he said In the two-hour broadcast. "And my opinion is they've made a mistake, they tried to cover it, they tried to put it out. It's like a fire. You know, it's really like trying to put out a fire. They couldn't put out the fire." (Smith, 5/4)

Politico: Trump Contradicts Top Health Officials With Vaccine Timeline, Malaria Drug Claims
President Donald Trump claimed on Sunday that a coronavirus vaccine would be ready by the end of 2020 and returned to touting an unproven treatment for the disease — on both fronts contradicting his own health officials as well as companies developing and testing potential vaccines. “We think we'll have a vaccine by the end of this year and we're pushing very hard,” he said at a Fox News town hall at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. “We're building supply lines, we even have the final vaccine.” (Ollstein, 5/3)

The Hill: Trump Rips George W. Bush After He Calls For Unity Amid Coronavirus Outbreak 
President Trump on Sunday took aim at George W. Bush after the former Republican president issued a call to push partisanship aside amid the outbreak of the novel coronavirus. In a three-minute video shared on Twitter on Saturday, Bush urged Americans to remember "how small our differences are in the face of this shared threat..." In an early morning tweet on Sunday, Trump called out Bush for his failure to support him as he faced an impeachment trial earlier this year over his alleged dealings with Ukraine. He cited apparent comments from Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, who asked why Bush didn't push for "putting partisanship aside" amid the trial. (Wise, 5/3)

The Hill: White House Signals Eagerness To Get Past Coronavirus Crisis 
President Trump is trying to return to business as usual amid the coronavirus pandemic. Trump, who has supplanted his daily coronavirus task force briefings for more controlled and structured appearances, is eager to get past the public health crisis that has dominated the news cycle since the end of February and allow businesses and American life to return to normal. (Chalfant and Samuels, 5/3)