Washington — President Trump is set to deliver remarks Monday on the nation’s coronavirus testing strategy, one day after a bombshell report from the New York Times provided an in-depth look at the president’s finances and revealed that he only paid $750 in federal income taxes in 2017.
The president’s remarks at the White House come as the total number of global deaths from the coronavirus nears 1 million. In the United States, there have been more than 7.1 million confirmed cases and 204,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University.
How to watch President Trump’s remarks on the nation’s coronavirus testing strategy
- What: President Trump delivers an update on the nation’s coronavirus testing strategyWhen: Monday, September 28Time: 2 p.m. ETLocation: The White HouseOnline stream: Live on CBSN-in the player above or on your mobile or streaming device
While the nation continues to grapple with the coronavirus crisis, public health officials are warning the pandemic could worsen in the coming winter months and heading into flu season. Dr. Anthony Fauci, the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told a panel this month that “we need to hunker down and get through this fall and winter, because it’s not going to be easy.”
Mr. Trump, though, told reporters he believes the U.S. is “rounding the final turn” and has touted the progress made on development of a coronavirus vaccine, which he has repeatedly suggested would be ready before the November election.
The Trump administration’s top public health officials have rebuffed the rosy timeline for a vaccine, predicting instead that one will not be available for the general population until mid-2021.
The president’s remarks on the coronavirus testing strategy — to be delivered one day before the first presidential debate — follow publication of a report from the New York Times that examined years of his tax information.
According to the report, which Mr. Trump dismissed as “fake news” on Sunday, the president paid just $750 in federal income taxes in 2016 and 2017. He paid no income taxes in 10 of the 15 years through 2015, the Times reported. The documents obtained by the Times also show he has $421 million in debt coming due.