President Donald Trump is continuing to push schools to reopen as he claims keeping them closed is doing more harm than good amid the coronavirus crisis.
During his coronavirus press briefing on Thursday, Trump indicated the failure to reopen schools is costing more lives than the coronavirus.
“Keeping them out of school and keeping work closed is causing death also, economic harm, but it’s causing death for different reasons, but death, probably more death,” Trump said.
He added, “If governors do not want to open the public schools, the money should go to parents so they can send their children to the school of their choice.”
Watch his comments below:
Trump ludicrously claims that keeping schools closed is causing "probably more death" than Covid-19 pic.twitter.com/qQwPKcXEYv
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) July 30, 2020
Trump’s comments come shortly after White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said on Friday during her briefing children should still return to school even if there is evidence proving they are transmitting the coronavirus, as IJR previously reported.
During his coronavirus briefing on July 22, Trump told reporters he is comfortable with his son, Barron, and grandchildren going back to school, as IJR previously reported.
Earlier this month, Trump threatened to take funding away from schools should they decide against reopening in the fall.
After receiving harsh criticism for his threat to take funding away, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos told CNN’s Dana Bash, “there’s no desire” to take money away from schools.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) expressed her frustration with Trump’s push to reopen schools.
She stressed the Trump administration is “messing with the health of our children.”
DeVos claimed children are “stoppers” of the coronavirus and Trump echoed her claim during his press briefing on July 22.
The claim garnered response from top health officials including Dr. Anthony Fauci.
According to Fauci, more studies need to be conducted in order to back DeVos’ claim.
Coronavirus cases in the United States alone have reached more than 4.4 million with the death toll totaling over 151,000.