President Donald Trump on Wednesday dismissed Democratic demands to include aid for cash-strapped cities in a new coronavirus relief package and lashed out at Republicans, saying they should “go back to school” if they reject money for a new FBI building in downtown Washington, D.C.
Trump, speaking alongside Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin at the White House, signaled his interest in preventing an eviction crisis as a federal moratorium expires Friday on millions of apartment units. But he and his top emissary to Congress portrayed an otherwise dismal outlook as negotiations drag ahead of looming deadlines.
“It’s a shame to reward badly run radical left Democrats with all of this money they’re looking for,” Trump said at the White House, complaining about the “big bailout money” for cities.
Trump was publicly critical of his GOP allies over the $1.7 billion for FBI headquarters that’s included in the bill, but which Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell later said he opposes as not related to virus relief.
The president wants to keep the building that sits across the street from his signature Trump International Hotel, which could face competition if the FBI moves and another hotel is developed there.
As top White House negotiators returned for a third day of talks, stark differences remain between the $3 trillion proposal from Democrats and $1 trillion counteroffer from Republicans as millions of Americans’ jobless benefits, school reopenings and eviction protections hang in the balance.
“As of now, we’re very far apart,” Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin said Wednesday.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi holds sway because Republicans are so deeply divided over the prospect of big government spending that McConnell is left with a severely weakened hand.
Striking any agreement with Congress by Friday’s deadline for expiring aid will be daunting. But the outcome will be a test for the president and the parties heading into the November election as the health crisis and devastating economic fallout continue.
Trump also defended his decision to promote Dr. Stella Immanuel, who pushed hydroxychloroquine as a cure for the coronavirus.
“I was very impressed with her and other doctors that stood with her,” Trump said Wednesday before leaving the White House for Texas.
Trump lashed out at social media companies for labelling her comments misinformation and removing the video that featured her: “I was very impressed by her. I know nothing about her, I had never seen her before, but certainly you could put her up and let her have a voice. So what they did is they took down their voice. Now, they seem to never take down the other side. They only take down conservative voices.”
“And with hydroxy, all I want to do is save lives,” Trump added.
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