Some of President Donald Trump's top advisers are trying to convince him to drop Easter as an arbitrary deadline for much of the United States to reopen.
These advisers said they believe the worst is yet to come in the coronavirus outbreak as they struggle to steer him away from the April 12 mark, Axios claimed in a Friday report.
Trump has said he hopes to see the U.S. start to get moving again by Easter.
"I don't think he feels in any way that his messaging was off," a top official told Axios. "He feels more convinced than ever that America needs to get back to work."
Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, said Trump's Easter goal is "flexible."
And Axios reported it will likely be a step-by-step process — different approaches based on geography and other factors. The president is said to be encouraged by states like Mississippi and Alabama keeping many businesses open. He also accepts that other states, including New York, will likely have to stay shut down.
Trump said Thursday that federal officials are putting together proposals to rate counties by risk of virus spread, as he hopes to begin easing nationwide guidelines aimed at stemming the coronavirus outbreak.
Final options have not been presented to Trump yet, Axios reported. But the advisers have tried to push the president to offer hope without deadlines.
Jeffrey Rodack ✉
Jeffrey Rodack, who has nearly a half century in news as a senior editor and city editor for national and local publications, has covered politics for Newsmax for nearly seven years.
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