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President Trump told Fox Business in an interview Wednesday that he still believes the coronavirus will "at some point just sort of disappear," as he first claimed in February before the pandemic was declared.
Why it matters: The coronavirus outbreak in the U.S., which has already seen more than 2.6 million Americans test positive, is continuing to accelerate across the Sun Belt and has shown no signs of slowing down. Anthony Fauci testified Tuesday that he would "not be surprised" if the U.S. begins reporting as many as 100,000 new coronavirus cases per day.
The exchange:
TRUMP: "We're heading back in a very strong fashion, with a V. And I think we're going to be very good with the coronavirus. I think at some point that's going to sort of just disappear, I hope."
BLAKE BURMAN: "You still believe so? Disappear?"
TRUMP: "Well I do, I do. Yeah sure, at some point. And I think we're going to have a vaccine very soon too."
The big picture: Trump told Fox Business that he's "all for masks" and that he would wear one if he were in a close-quarter situation — but still maintained that he doesn't think it should be mandatory. This comes as top Republicans, including Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, have increasingly stressed the importance of wearing masks amid a stark partisan divide.
Go deeper: Where the science stands on using face masks against coronavirus