Trump spikes coronavirus relief talks until 'after the election'

Donald Trump.
(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

President Trump on Tuesday announced he's rejecting congressional Democrats' latest coronavirus relief bill package, but went a step further than usual this time by apparently telling his negotiating team, led by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, to halt talks "until after the election."

Trump's issue with the Democrats' proposal was that it was, in his view, asking for funding to cover matters "in no way related to COVID-19."

Mnuchin was reportedly scheduled to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) for more talks Tuesday, but it sounds like that won't end up happening.

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If the White House follows through on the declaration, the efforts will be placed on hold until at least Nov. 3. After that, the president promised Congress a "major" relief bill. In the meantime, Trump said he wants the Republican-led Senate to focus on confirming his Supreme Court nominee, Judge Amy Coney Barrett. Tim O'Donnell

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Tim O'Donnell

Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.