Trump peppers the Iowa state epidemiologist with questions about whether she thinks COVID-19 will come back hard in the fall.
Pool entered Oval Office at 3:07 pm. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds is in a chair at POTUS’s right. Between them, a sign on an easel showing what Iowa has received from 3/1 to 5/1.
Trump bantered with Fox’s John Roberts as the pool set up and said: “I’d really like to play golf but it’s too busy right now.”
Trump peppers the Iowa state epidemiologist with questions about whether she thinks COVID-19 will come back hard in the fall if it’s especially contagious if people who’ve had it get immunity.
“In a way by doing all this testing we make ourselves look bad… we’re going to have more cases” because more testing, Trump said.
Reynolds says Iowa has tested 1 in 50 Iowans. “We are testing in hotspots.”
Ongoing a 3-way conversation between Trump, governor, and her aide, whose on the sofa next to Dr. Birx.
POTUS: “How do you compare this to influenza?”
Iowa doctor notes there’s no vaccine.
Trump asks the Iowa epidemiologist to serve on the coronavirus task force. She accepts.
“I’d love for you to be on the task force.”
Trump assures the governor this is “not to steal her,” just borrow.
Pence says Iowa has been a success story.
“We’ve turned a corner,” said Agriculture Secretary Sonny Purdue.
Lots of talk on meatpacking plant safety and the meat supply. Details to follow.
Purdue and Reynolds said plants should be back to 100% capacity in a week to 10 days.