President Trump said Friday he’s optimistic about the path forward for the U.S. amid the coronavirus pandemic, citing an accelerated push for a vaccine and declining transmission after a month-plus of shutdown orders.
Mr. Trump desperately wants to get America back up and running, though acknowledged “we have now a long way to go” after the death toll exceeded 100,000.
“We turned off the greatest economy ever and we turned it off very rapidly, very quickly,” the president said during a roundtable at the White House.
Mr. Trump says there are good signs on the horizon.
“The stock market is doing well because people have a lot of confidence,” he said.
The president also said he’s optimistic about therapeutics and the development of a vaccine, citing the military’s role in guiding logistics as products get approved.
His economic adviser, Larry Kudlow, said people are seeking mortgages due to low-interest rates.
Also, “we’re going to see a boom in spending” as the pandemic recedes, Mr. Kudlow said.
Industry leaders gathered at the White House said they are taking steps to reopen their businesses safely. For instance, Southwest Airlines Gary Kelly said they are deep-cleaning their planes and would like to check the temperatures of passengers before they board.
“The trends are in the right direction,” Mr. Kelly said.
• Tom Howell Jr. can be reached at thowell@washingtontimes.com.
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