This Wednesday, President Trump said that the coronavirus task force would continue "indefinitely" but would now shift its focus to reopening the economy. The message delivered in a series of tweets from Trump comes after news reports that the White House planning on "winding down" the task force's duties.
“The White House Coronavirus Task Force, headed by Vice President Mike Pence, has done a fantastic job of bringing together vast highly complex resources that have set a high standard for others to follow in the future,” Trump tweeted.
“Ventilators, which were few & in bad shape, are now being produced in the thousands, and we have many to spare," he added. "We are helping other countries which are desperate for them. Likewise, after having been left little, we are now doing more testing than all other countries combined, and with superior tests.”
“Because of this success, the Task Force will continue on indefinitely with its focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN,” Trump wrote in a later tweet. “We may add or subtract people to it, as appropriate.”Trump added that the task force “will also be very focused on Vaccines & Therapeutics.”
In the comment threads that opened up beneath Trump's tweets, many wondered why he'd ramp down the role of the task force as the coronavirus pandemic continues to wreak havoc throughout the U.S.