'I will protect you if your governor fails': Trump hails his 'good moves' in coronavirus fight
Donald Trump announced Tuesday night he will seek $250bn more from Congress to replenish a new federal program to help small businesses cope with the coronavirus lockdown as he vowed to protect all Americans and shift blame to state executives.
"I will protect you if your governor fails," Trump said during his daily Covid-19 briefing from the White House before announcing his request that lawmakers refill the Paycheck Protection Program, to which Congress initially allocated $349bn, after demand raided the account as businesses reeled from the pandemic outbreak.
The president suggested the fund should be considered "limitless" so business can stay afloat during the crisis.
Democratic lawmakers with which his administration will have to negotiate an expected "phase four" virus economic stimulus and recovery measure also want to do more to help small businesses.
Mr Trump again endorsed trying to include a massive infrastructure measure as part of the fourth anti-virus measure. Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, has told her members a section to spend billions on improving the countries roads, bridges, tunnels and other critical infrastructure.
More follows…
