Tag: Trump

  • China mocks Trump over Floyd protest

    China mocks Trump over Floyd protest

    Chinese officials and state media have seized on news of the protests sweeping the US, comparing the widespread unrest to the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong and accusing Washington of hypocrisy. Mass protests spread across multiple US states over the weekend, many escalating after police responded with teargas, pepper balls and other projectiles, and in some instances using vehicles to ram protesters. Some cities have seen arson and looting, and across the nation police have been criticised for using excessive force. The protests were sparked by the death of George Floyd, an African American man killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis.

    The US protests follow almost a year of highly visible and significant pro-democracy demonstrations in Hong Kong, where police are also repeatedly accused of using excessive force.

    The US administration has been vocal in support of the pro-democracy movement in Hong Kong, particularly since Beijing’s declaration it would impose national security laws on the semi-autonomous region. After days of chaotic scenes in the US, on Sunday China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman, Hua Chunying posted “I can’t breathe” – Floyd’s last words – to Twitter, with a screenshot of her American counterpart criticising China’s crackdown on Hong Kong.

    Fellow ministry spokesman, Lijian Zhao retweeted numerous comments and reports on the protests, including from Russia’s deputy representative to the UN, accusing the US of double standards. “Why US denies China’s right to restore peace and order in HK while brutally dispersing crowds at home?” said Dmitry Polyanskiy. State media has also revelled in the scenes of unrest unfolding in the US.

    “US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi once called the violent protests in Hong Kong ‘a beautiful sight to behold.’… US politicians now can enjoy this sight from their own windows,” Hu Xijin, editor-in-chief of nationalist tabloid Global Times, wrote on Saturday.

  • Trump says does not wish to talk to Xi ‘right now’

    Trump says does not wish to talk to Xi ‘right now’

    US President Donald Trump said Thursday he is no mood to speak with China’s Xi Jinping, warning darkly he might cut off ties with the rival superpower over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic.
    “I have a very good relationship, but I just — right now I don’t want to speak to him,” Trump told Fox Business.

    “I’m very disappointed in China. I will tell you that right now,” he said.

    Asked how the United States might choose to retaliate, Trump gave no specifics but struck a threatening tone, saying: “There are many things we could do. We could do things. We could cut off the whole relationship.”

    “If you did, what would happen?” Trump asked. “You’d save $500 billion if you cut off the whole relationship.”

    Tensions have ratcheted up between the United States and China as they have traded barbs over the origin of the pandemic that has killed 300,000 people.

    Trump has for weeks accused China of concealing the true scale of the outbreak, which first appeared in late 2019 in the Chinese city of Wuhan, thus allowing it to spread unchecked.

    Beijing strongly denies the charge, insisting it transmitted all available data as soon as possible to the World Health Organization.

    Trump doubled down on his accusation in the Fox Business interview, saying: “It all came from China and they should have stopped it.

  • Trump pushes for schools to reopen, ignores expert’s caution

    U.S. President Donald Trump pushed for schools to reopen and sharply disagreed with the nation’s top infectious disease expert Anthony Fauci, who warned this week against sending students back to class too soon.

    “We have to get the schools open, we have to get our country open,” Trump said in an interview with Fox Business aired on Thursday.

    “I totally disagree with him on schools,” the president said of Fauci’s words of caution at a Senate hearing earlier in the week.

    Fauci told lawmakers there would have to be a “step-by-step” assessment of whether the dynamics of the outbreak would be right for schools to reopen in the autumn, and noted no vaccine would be available for use by then.

    The expert, who is one of the most prominent faces on Trump’s coronavirus task force, also warned of the dangers to children of a virus that doctors are still struggling to understand.

    “I think we better be careful [that] we are not cavalier in thinking that children are completely immune from the deleterious effects,” he said, pointing to cases of a dangerous inflammatory syndrome in very young coronavirus patients.

    Trump downplayed the risks of the virus to children in the interview.

    “I think we have to open our schools, young people are very little affected by this,” he said.

    On Wednesday, Trump said Fauci had not given “an acceptable answer” in his congressional testimony.

    The president has been eager to reopen schools and businesses to restart the economy as soon as possible, and has often clashed with the guidance of health officials.

  • 100,000 Americans may die from covid-19- Trump

    100,000 Americans may die from covid-19- Trump

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Sunday he now believes as many as 100,000 Americans could die in the coronavirus pandemic, after the death toll passed his earlier estimates, but said he was confident a vaccine would be developed by the year’s end.

    Trump alternated during a two-hour virtual town hall broadcast by FOX News between forecasting a rapid recovery for the U.S. economy and casting blame for the pandemic’s spread on China, where the disease is believed to have originated.

    The COVID-19 illness, caused by the new coronavirus, has sickened more than 1.1 million in the United States and killed more than 67,000 Americans, shut wide swaths of society, including most schools and many businesses.

    “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.

    “We can’t stay closed as a country (or) we’re not gonna have a country left,” Trump said.

    Trump has criticized FOX recently, casting the conservative-leaning network as insufficiently supportive. He faced few tough questions in the event, which gave him a new format to reach the public while he is unable to hold campaign rallies and after he faced widespread criticism for his combative daily briefings.

    In an assessment that clashes with those of some public health experts, Trump said he believed that by the end of the year there would be a vaccine against COVID-19.

    “I think we’re going to have a vaccine by the end of the year. The doctors would say, well you shouldn’t say that,” Trump said. “I’ll say what I think … I think we’ll have a vaccine sooner than later.”

    Many health experts, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation’s top infectious disease expert, have cautioned that a vaccine is likely a year to 18 months away.

    There is an “incredibly small” chance of having a highly effective vaccine or treatment for the coronavirus within the next year, England’s Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty said on April 22.

    Trump also said he wanted students to return to schools and colleges in the autumn, even as he acknowledged the possibility of a resurgence of the disease.

    “We’ll put out the embers, we’ll put out whatever it may be. We may have to put out a fire,” he said.

    Speaking the day before the Senate returns to Washington, Trump said it was possible that federal coronavirus aid could rise to $6 trillion from the nearly $3 trillion Congress has already passed to try to ease the heavy economic toll of the crisis.

    “There is more help coming. There has to be,” he said.

    Democrats have made clear they want to provide a sizable rescue package for state and local governments as part of a broader bill – one that could total over $2 trillion – while some Republicans criticized the idea as unreasonably expensive.

    “We will be doing infrastructure and I told Steve (Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin) just today we are not doing anything unless we get a payroll tax cut,” Trump said.

    Trump, who has been criticized for not moving faster early in the year to stop the spread of the disease, sought to blunt the criticism by blaming China.

    Trump said China had made a “horrible mistake” without saying precisely what this was or providing specific evidence for his assertion.

    Earlier in the day, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said there was “a significant amount of evidence” that COVID-19 emerged from a Chinese laboratory, but did not dispute U.S. intelligence agencies’ conclusion that it was not man-made.

  • Trump to sign immigration order on Wednesday

    Trump to sign immigration order on Wednesday

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he would sign an Executive Order, putting a temporary halt on new immigration to the country for at least 60 days.

    He, however, said the measure was a means to shore up jobs for U.S. citizens amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    Trump said the measure was only applicable to those entering under the green card, the permit which gave full residence in the country, adding that there would be some exemptions.

    The move is the latest Trump measure restricting immigration to the U.S. including a sharp reduction in refugees and asylum seekers allowed into the country and a ban on most immigration from several countries.

    “I want to ensure U.S. citizens are first in line for jobs when the country re-opens from the coronavirus shutdown, otherwise, labour will be flown in from abroad.

  • Trump- I hope Social distancing rules should be same for Ramadan as it was for Easter

    Trump- I hope Social distancing rules should be same for Ramadan as it was for Easter

    President Donald Trump said Saturday he hopes US Muslims will be held to the same social distancing standards during Ramadan as Christians at Easter when a number of faithful chafed against coronavirus-related restrictions on large gatherings.

    The US president made the comments after being asked to defend a retweet of a conservative commentator who seemed to question whether Muslims would be treated with the same severity as Christians who broke social distancing rules.

    “I would say that there could be a difference,” Trump said during his daily coronavirus press conference. “And we’ll have to see what will happen. Because I’ve seen a great disparity in this country.”

    Ramadan, which begins at sunset on Thursday, falls a week and a half after Easter when some Christians bucked public health regulations to attend illicit services.

    Asked whether he thought imams would refuse to follow social distancing orders, Trump responded: “No, I don’t think that at all.”

    “I am somebody that believes in faith. And it matters not what your faith is. But our politicians seem to treat different faiths very differently.”

    More than 700,000 cases of coronavirus have been reported in the United States, forcing religious communities across the country to shutter their doors.

    The Islamic Society of North America, alongside Muslim medical experts, has urged the suspension of group prayers, among other gatherings.

    Jewish Americans were likewise forced to turn traditional Passover seders into virtual affairs when the eight-day holiday began at sundown on April 8.

    And pastors at two megachurches in Florida and Louisiana have been arrested on misdemeanor charges for flouting stay-at-home orders.

    “The Christian faith is treated much differently than it was,” Trump added on Saturday, “and I think it’s treated very unfairly.”

  • Trump announces 19-billion-dollar relief for U.S. farmers

    Trump announces 19-billion-dollar relief for U.S. farmers

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced a 19-billion-dollar aid package for U.S. farmers on Friday, in a bid to shore up the U.S. food supply chain.

    “The programme will include direct payments to farmers as well as mass purchases of dairy, meat and agricultural produce to get that food to the people in need,” Trump said during his daily news conference.

    Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue said 16 billion dollars in direct payments will be made to farmers and the U.S. Department of Agriculture will purchase 3 billion dollars in goods.

    The money for the relief has already been allocated by Congress in previous aid legislation. (dpa/NAN)

  • Trump says travel restrictions top priority as U.S. reopens

    Trump says travel restrictions top priority as U.S. reopens

    U.S. President Donald Trump has said border control and travel restrictions would be top priority as the country prepares to reopen its economy after a costly coronavirus shutdown.

    Trump said during his daily news briefing on COVID-19 at the White House on Thursday where he announced a three-phased plan for the reopening process.

    “As we begin a science-based reopening, we must be extra vigilant in blocking the foreign entry of the virus from abroad.

    “Border control, travel restrictions and other limitations on entry are more important than never before to keep the virus in check and allow Americans to get back to work,” he said.

    Citing expert advice, the president said the pandemic curve had flattened and the peak in new cases behind, hence the need for Americans to “start our lives again”.

    However, he said the States would decide on when to reopen, but the guidelines recommend criteria that would have to be met in this regard.

    “America wants to be open.

    “Based on the latest data, our team of experts agree we can start the next front in our war, which we are calling ‘Opening up America Again”.

    “And that is what we are doing, opening up our country and we have to do that,” he said.

    Trump said that a prolonged shutdown combined with “a forced economic depression” could deeply hurt the country and its economy.

    The document lays out the guidelines to be followed for reopening of businesses across the country badly hit by the economic impact of the pandemic.

    One of the key recommendations for the first phase is the avoidance of groups of more than 10 people where appropriate social distancing is impossible.

    The first phase also discourages non-essential travel, and encourages telework (working from home) and closure of common areas in offices.

    Also recommended is the need for States to achieve a 14-day “downward trajectory” in coronavirus cases before beginning the re-opening process.

    Under the plan, States are expected to set up screening and testing centres in addition to develop contact tracing capabilities.

    It also recommends that hospitals should have a “robust testing programme,” in place for healthcare workers, among others.

    While acknowledging that there would be challenges ahead, Trump said the goal was to quickly identify and address new cases.

    “If the virus returns in the fall as some scientists think it may, possibly, these guidelines will ensure that our country is up and running so that we can likewise put it out quickly,” he said.

  • Trump says U.S. will halt WHO funding during coronavirus pandemic

    Trump says U.S. will halt WHO funding during coronavirus pandemic

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced he was halting funding to the World Health Organisation (WHO) on Tuesday, and accused the world body of failing in its response to the coronavirus pandemic.

    He said U.S. taxpayers provide between 400 and 500 million dollars a year to the organization.

    However, it is unclear how Trump plans to halt the funding, which is largely appropriated by Congress.

    Trump said the U.S. has a “duty to insist on full accountability” and will stop payments while a 60- to 90-day review takes place to assess the WHO’s “role in severely mismanaging and covering up the spread of the coronavirus.”

    He also pointed the finger at the WHO for “praising China for its so-called transparency” and siding with Beijing in opposing his travel restrictions.

    Trump himself had praised China’s “efforts and transparency” in their work to contain the virus in a January tweet.

    The announcement, which Trump has been teasing for a week, comes as the president is fending off intense criticism over his early response to the virus, which experts say was lacking in adequate testing and tracking to properly address the outbreak.

    UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres said in a statement that now is “not the time to reduce the resources for the operations of the World Health Organization or any other humanitarian organization in the fight against the virus.”

    There must be a time to look back and understand how the disease spread so quickly across the world “once we have finally turned the page on this epidemic,” Guterres said.

    “The lessons learned will be essential to effectively address similar challenges, as they may arise in the future. But now is not that time,” he added.

    Trump’s criticisms of the WHO echo some experts who say the organization relied too heavily on information from China in the initial stages of the outbreak.

    There were also signs the WHO ignored data from Taiwan, which indicated human-to-human contact was occurring, even as China was saying otherwise.

    WHO, under pressure from Beijing, does not recognise Taiwan, in line with the United Nations.

    However, the criticism from Trump also comes amid growing concerns about how the White House handled the initial signs that a pandemic was coming, at times downplaying the risk to the US and failing to ensure medical stockpiles were sufficient.

    Tom Friedin, a former head of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said there should a “strong WHO”.

    “I think every organisation can look back and say what did we do well, what did we do poorly.

    “But the fact is, the WHO helps protect Americans.

    “That’s an essential institution. So a stronger WHO is essential,” Friedin told Fox News. (dpa/NAN)

  • Americans should wear non-medical masks, but Trump will not

    Americans should wear non-medical masks, but Trump will not

    US President Donald Trump on Friday unveiled new guidelines saying that every American should wear non-medical face masks while in cramped public settings amid the coronavirus pandemic, while also saying he would not heed the “voluntary” advice.

    The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is recommending that Americans wear “a basic cloth or fabric mask that can either be purchased online or simply made at home,” Trump said during a press briefing, adding: “This is voluntary, I don’t think I’m going to be doing it.”

    The new guidance comes amid concerns that up to 25 per cent of people infected with Covid-19, the disease caused by the new virus, are not showing symptoms and could be unwittingly spreading it.

    Face coverings will help “slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others,” the CDC guidelines stated.

    When asked why he does not want to wear a mask, the president emphasized that voluntary nature of the guidelines, adding that the covering would not fit the decorum of his office.

    “Somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful resolute desk, the great resolute desk, I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens. I don’t know, somehow I don’t see it for myself,” he said.

    The new recommendations come as New York continues to be the most hard-hit state in the US reporting 562 deaths on Friday, the state’s largest single-day death toll, Governor Andrew Cuomo told a daily press briefing.

    New York confirmed coronavirus cases also passed 100,000 on Friday, with over half of the infections in New York City.

    With the need for ventilators and other medical equipment remaining dire, Cuomo said he would sign an executive order allowing the state to take supplies from private hospitals and companies and redistribute them to hospitals most in need.

    The US Department of Defence on Friday said it was changing rules that led to delays in patients being admitted to the USNS Comfort after the ship was criticized for failing to relieve New York City’s swamped hospitals, as coronavirus cases continued to surge.

    The 1,000-bed hospital ship had only taken 20 patients aboard as of late Thursday, the New York Times reported citing officials, while city hospitals struggled to handle the thousands infected with coronavirus.

    This was due to strict rules preventing people infected with the virus or afflicted with some 49 other medical conditions from being accepted on the vessel.

    Delays were also caused by patients having to be screened for Covid-19 at local hospitals before being taken to the ship.

    On Friday, the Pentagon announced that “screening for care on the USNS Comfort will be modified and will now occur pier-side in an effort to reduce the backlog at some of the nearby New York hospitals.”

    Cuomo also said the Javits Center, a huge convention centre in Manhattan that was turned into a makeshift hospital for non-coronavirus patients, was now receiving Covid-19 patients along with the Navy hospital ship after the federal government granted his request.

    The governor said he believed the Navy did not want to accept those infected with the virus on the USNS Comfort because “it would be too hard to disinfect the ship afterwards.”

    New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio said he was “sure that ship will be very full soon.”

    “We’re going to need the Comfort and every other place in the city that we can get hospital beds up and running because we’re expecting a huge surge just in the next few days,” de Blasio told broadcaster MSNBC.

    Later, the mayor said the city would need 15,000 more ventilators and 45,000 more medical personnel to fight the pandemic through April and May.

    He called for a national enlistment programme for doctors and nurses to be sent to New York City.

    The city on Friday sent out an emergency phone alert to residents calling for more health workers to volunteer. (dpa)