Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Thursday that he believes businesses in the U.S. will be open again as early as next month amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Do you think with this, there’s a possibility — if the doctors let us — that we could be open for business in the month of May?” CNBC “Squawk Box” host Jim Cramer asked Mnuchin.
“I do, Jim,” the Trump administration official replied.
“I think as soon as the President feels comfortable with the medical issues, we are making everything necessary that American companies and American workers can be open for business, and that they have the liquidity they need to operate their business in the interim,” he continued.
The coronavirus outbreak has devastated the U.S. economy and prompted a massive wave of layoffs as businesses all over the country are forced to temporarily shut down. A record-shattering 16.8 million jobs have been lost over the past three weeks, according to the Labor Department.
Thus, President Donald Trump has been anxious to jumpstart the economy as soon as possible to stem the damage and protect his reelection prospects in November.
CNN reported on Thursday that Trump will soon announce a new White House anti-coronavirus task force dedicated to reopening the economy as the virus has decimated jobs.
Watch Mnuchin below:
Mnuchin says he believes businesses will be open again in May. pic.twitter.com/m5fTvJTY7v
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) April 9, 2020
