President Trump attempted to quell the panic that has ensued amid the coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. during a White House press briefing Sunday afternoon.
After shouting out to his meeting with executives from Target, Campbell’s and Costco, Trump advised against panic-buying in response to the outbreak.
“You don’t have to buy so much,” Trump said. “Take it easy, just relax. People are going in and buying more. I remember — I guess during the conversation Doug of Walmart said — that they’re buying more than they buy at Christmas. Relax. We’re doing great. It all will pass.”
Trump later added that the executives he met with earlier Sunday “have asked me to say, ‘Could you buy a little bit less please?’” which he thought he “would never hear that from a retailer.”
Trump’s remarks came shortly after the Federal Reserve announced that it’s cutting its benchmark interest rate to zero in an effort to protect the economy from the effects of the coronavirus outbreak.
The President’s remarks also stand in stark contrast to the sentiments shared by National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases director and coronavirus task force member Anthony Fauci during a series Sunday morning interviews.
Just two days after Trump declared a national emergency over the coronavirus outbreak, Fauci said that it’s “conceivable” for a “very severe” scenario to arise as coronavirus cases increase.
Watch Trump’s remarks below:
Trump: “You don’t have to buy so much. Take it easy. Relax.” pic.twitter.com/WdwU5BFcaF
— Talking Points Memo (@TPM) March 15, 2020
