Trump says coronavirus task force will actually 'continue on indefinitely'


The state of the White House's coronavirus task force just became much more confusing.
After The New York Times reported on Tuesday that the White House was looking to "wind down" the coronavirus task force, Vice President Mike Pence confirmed that this was under consideration potentially for around Memorial Day, sparking criticism that the move was premature.
But President Trump seemed to walk this back on Wednesday morning. After praising the "fantastic job" the task force has done, Trump tweeted that "because of this success, the task force will continue on indefinitely," though with a "focus on SAFETY & OPENING UP OUR COUNTRY AGAIN," as well as vaccines and therapeutics.
Subscribe to 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.
Trump also said "we may add or subtract people" from the task force going forward. When asked on Tuesday why now would be the right time to wind down the task force, Trump simply said "because we can't keep our country closed for the next five years."
An official told Axios that the task force will "continue providing input, though the group will not be meeting in person as regularly as the focus changes toward vaccines, therapeutics, testing, and ultimately reopening the economy." The official also insisted this "does NOT mean doctors are being removed from the equation."
Reports that the coronavirus task force would be winding down appeared to come as a surprise even to Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, who told CBS News on Tuesday, "That's not true. I've been in every task force meeting, and that's not what they are doing." Politico also previously reported that "health officials and other aides inside the White House were not happy about the plans to dissolve the coronavirus task force."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
Zohran Mamdani: the young progressive likely to be New York City's next mayor
In The Spotlight The policies and experience that led to his meteoric rise
-
The best film reboots of all time
The Week Recommends Creativity and imagination are often required to breathe fresh life into old material
-
'More must be done'
Instant Opinion Opinion, comment and editorials of the day
-
The last words and final moments of 40 presidents
The Explainer Some are eloquent quotes worthy of the holders of the highest office in the nation, and others... aren't
-
Senate advances GOP bill that costs more, cuts more
Speed Read The bill would make giant cuts to Medicaid and food stamps, leaving 11.8 million fewer people with health coverage
-
Canadian man dies in ICE custody
Speed Read A Canadian citizen with permanent US residency died at a federal detention center in Miami
-
GOP races to revise megabill after Senate rulings
Speed Read A Senate parliamentarian ruled that several changes to Medicaid included in Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" were not permissible
-
Supreme Court lets states ax Planned Parenthood funds
Speed Read The court ruled that Planned Parenthood cannot sue South Carolina over the state's effort to deny it funding
-
Trump plans Iran talks, insists nuke threat gone
Speed Read 'The war is done' and 'we destroyed the nuclear,' said President Trump
-
Trump embraces NATO after budget vow, charm offensive
Speed Read The president reversed course on his longstanding skepticism of the trans-Atlantic military alliance
-
Trump judge pick told DOJ to defy courts, lawyer says
Speed Read Emil Bove, a top Justice Department official nominated by Trump for a lifetime seat, stands accused of encouraging government lawyers to mislead the courts and defy judicial orders