President Trump conceded that an economic recession may be all but certain because of the coronavirus.
The president, who spoke during a White House briefing on Tuesday, was asked whether he thought predictions that the United States had an “almost 100%” chance of entering a recession were accurate, a reference to comments by former White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Kevin Hassett on Monday.
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“It could be,” Trump responded, “I don’t think in terms of recession. I think in terms of getting it out because when we are finished with the virus, we will win. We will win. And when that victory takes place, our economy’s going to go through the roof. It is so pent-up, it is so built up, it is so ready to go in an upward direction.”
He continued: “But we have to knock out this enemy. This is a really tough enemy. But we have to knock out — all of us, that’s all of us. So, I don’t think in terms of recession or not recession. It’s words. We have to knock out this, and we will have an economy. I actually think we will have an economy like we’ve never had before. It’s all pent-up.”
