President Donald Trump is making her clear that he believes schools should be open in the fall.
During an event at the White House on Tuesday, Trump said, “We hope that most schools are going to be open. We don’t want people to make political statements.”
“They think it’s going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed. No way. So, we’re very much going to put pressure on governors and everybody else to open up the schools,” he added.
He continued to express his belief that it is “very important” for the country and the wellbeing of parents and students for schools to be open in the fall.
“So, we’re going to be putting a lot of pressure on open your schools in the fall,” he said.
Watch the video below:
.@POTUS on schools reopening in the fall: "We don't want people to make political statements…They think it's going to be good for them politically, so they keep the schools closed. No way…We're very much going to put pressure on governors & everybody…to open up the schools" pic.twitter.com/X7OULhap8o
— CSPAN (@cspan) July 7, 2020
On Monday, Trump tweeted, “SCHOOLS MUST OPEN IN THE FALL!!!”
While Trump stressed that he wants schools to be open in the fall, Dr. Anthony Fauci — the head of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease — cautioned that “it’s not gonna be one-size-fits-all.”
Fauci noted that there are “ripple effects” to keeping schools closed. However, he said whether or not schools reopen will depend on the “penetrance” of the coronavirus in the school’s community.
“The bottom line is that it’s not gonna be one-size-fits-all. It’s gonna be what the level of penetrance is in any given community,” Fauci said.
Trump praised Florida Gov. Ron Desantis (R) as he noted that schools would reopen in that state despite the surge increase in coronavirus cases.
Despite Trump’s insistence that schools reopen, many have raised concerns that reopening schools could fuel the spread of the coronavirus.
