President Trump on Sunday participated in a virtual town hall with Fox News at the Lincoln Memorial, telling moderators Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum that he is "very confident" that "we'll have a vaccine by the end of the year. We'll have a vaccine much sooner rather than later."
Trump said he is not concerned by how fast the human trials have to move for this to happen, because "they're volunteers. They know what they're getting into. ... They want to help the process." Last week, Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, said a coronavirus vaccine by January is "doable if things fall in the right place." Health experts have said it could take 18 months at the earliest to have a vaccine ready to go.
Trump called the coronavirus "a plague" that is "going to pass," and said after emerging in China, it "should have been stopped. It could have been stopped at the spot." He was also asked about the demonstrations being held to protest COVID-19 mitigation rules, despite the coronavirus continuing to spread. He called the protests, which have included supporters waving Trump flags and banners, "meaningful."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Vice President Mike Pence and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin joined Trump for part of the town hall, and they insisted that if there is another stimulus package, there has to be a payroll tax cut. Mnuchin also said that the White House wants to "help states" but won't offer a "bailout." Catherine Garcia
-
Why Britain is struggling to stop the ransomware cyberattacksThe Explainer New business models have greatly lowered barriers to entry for criminal hackers
-
Greene’s rebellion: a Maga hardliner turns against TrumpIn the Spotlight The Georgia congresswoman’s independent streak has ‘not gone unnoticed’ by the president
-
Crossword: October 26, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges
-
Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction
-
Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters
-
Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations
-
Trump nominee in limbo after racist texts leakSpeed Read Paul Ingrassia lost Republican support following the exposure of past racist text messages
-
Trump begins East Wing demolition for ballroomspeed read The president’s new construction will cost $250 million
-
Appeals court clears Trump’s Portland troop deploymentSpeed Read A divided federal appeals court ruled that President Trump can send the National Guard to Portland
-
Millions turn out for anti-Trump ‘No Kings’ ralliesSpeed Read An estimated 7 million people participated, 2 million more than at the first ‘No Kings’ protest in June
