The following is a timeline of the first presidency of Donald Trump during the second quarter of 2020, from April 1 to June 30, 2020. For a complete itinerary of his travels, see List of presidential trips made by Donald Trump (2020–21). To navigate between quarters, see timeline of the Donald Trump presidencies. For the Q3 timeline see timeline of the first Trump presidency (2020 Q3).
Timeline Overview
President Trump campaigned for the ongoing presidential primaries and tackled the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic by extending the nationwide Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines throughout the month of April.
April 2020
Date Events Photos/videos Wednesday, April 1 President Trump reveals that his decision to extend the social distancing guidelines to April 30 was motivated by models which predicted that if the restrictions were removed as many as 2.2million people would die and about half the country would be infected. President Trump also warned that between 100,000 and 240,000 Americans could become infected in the coming days, despite strict isolation and distancing guidelines. More than 3,600 people have died in the United States from the SARS-CoV-2 disease. 1,941 have died in New York state, 267 in New Jersey, 259 in Michigan, 239 in Louisiana, 225 in Washington state, 184 in California and 139 in Georgia. Every other state except Wyoming has recorded at least one death attributed to the virus. Thursday, April 2 Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly announces he has relieved Captain Brett Crozier from the (CVN-71) for going outside the chain of command for help with 114 positive COVID-19 cases on board the aircraft carrier. In the daily COVID-19 press conference, Jared Kushner declares that the "notion of the federal stockpile was it's supposed to be our stockpile; it's not supposed to be state stockpiles that they then use." Friday, April 3 President Trump notifies Congress he has "removed from office" Intelligence Community Inspector General Michael Atkinson, the individual who had informed Congress about the whistleblower complaint that led to the Ukraine probe and the president's impeachment. Saturday, April 4 Sunday, April 5 Monday, April 6 President Trump nominates Brian D. Miller to fill the newly created position of Special Inspector General for Pandemic Recovery. Tuesday, April 7 President Trump announces that Kayleigh McEnany will become the 31st White House press secretary, replacing Stephanie Grisham, who was moved to be the First Lady's chief of staff. President Trump dismisses Glenn A. Fine as acting inspector general for the Defense Department, making him ineligible to chair the recently created Pandemic Response Accountability Committee that he had been appointed to eight days previously. Acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly submits a letter of resignation to Defense Secretary Mark Esper. Wednesday, April 8 The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 12,956. There are more than 397,000 certified COVID-19 cases. Thursday, April 9 Friday, April 10 Saturday, April 11 Sunday, April 12 Monday, April 13 Tuesday, April 14 Wednesday, April 15 The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 25,922. There are more than 606,800 certified COVID-19 cases. President Trump announces that the US will stop funding the World Health Organization (WHO), after Trump criticized the WHO for being too lenient on China. President Trump threatens to prorogue both houses of Congress in order to make recess appointments. Thursday, April 16 President Trump announces that the states can begin lifting restrictions for COVID-19 by May1 while acknowledging that the decision to reopen is best left to the states. Friday, April 17 President Trump tweets "LIBERATE", interpreted as support of not extending lock-downs in Michigan, Minnesota, and Virginia. Saturday, April 18 Sunday, April 19 Monday, April 20 President Trump announces on Twitter that he will temporarily suspend all immigration in an effort to protect America from "the Invisible Enemy". Tuesday, April 21 Wednesday, April 22 The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 42,200. There are more than 830,000 certified COVID-19 cases. Health Dept. official Dr. Rick Bright is fired by President Trump after questioning the effectiveness of Hydroxychloroquine as a drug to treat COVID-19 and requesting extensive tests to confirm Trump's claims. Thursday, April 23 After the Senate passes a $480 billion aid bill to help small businesses and hospitals as well as to increase the number of COVID-19 tests performed the House of Representatives approves the bill in a vote of 388–5, sending the bill to President Trump for signing. Friday, April 24 President Trump signs the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act to provide hospitals with $484billion in funding to increase COVID-19 testing. At the daily COVID-19 press briefing, President Trump promotes the use of ultraviolet light as a remedy to COVID-19, and muses about injecting bleach or disinfectant into the lungs or other areas of the body to kill the virus. Saturday, April 25 Sunday, April 26 Monday, April 27 Tuesday, April 28 President Trump meets with Governor of Florida Ron DeSantis in the Oval Office. Wednesday, April 29 President Trump meets with Governor of Louisiana John Bel Edwards in the Oval Office. The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 53,034. There are more than 1 million certified COVID-19 cases. Thursday, April 30 President Trump meets with Governor of New Jersey Phil Murphy in the Oval Office.
May 2020
Date Events Photos/videos Friday, May 1 President Trump dismisses Acting Health and Human Services inspector general Christi Grimm, who had issued an April report describing severe shortages of COVID-19 testing materials and personal protective equipment. Saturday, May 2 Sunday, May 3 During a Fox News town hall in the Lincoln Memorial, President Trump revises his forecast for the death toll from COVID-19, increasing it to 100,000. He also admits the disease has been more lethal than he expected, adding that early intelligence briefings indicated the virus was "not a big deal". Monday, May 4 Tuesday, May 5 President Trump tours Honeywell Aerospace. Wednesday, May 6 President Trump meets with Governor of Iowa Kim Reynolds in the Oval Office. The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 71,077. There are more than 1.2 million certified COVID-19 cases. Thursday, May 7 One of Trump's personal valets tests positive for COVID-19. White House staffers, including valets, generally do not wear masks. Trump claims, however, that he requires all his aides to take rapid tests for the virus before he travels anywhere with them. President Trump meets with Governor of Texas Greg Abbott in the Oval Office. President Trump speaks at the National Day of Prayer service in the Rose Garden. The Justice Department announces that it is dropping all charges against President Trump's former National Security Advisor, Michael Flynn. Friday, May 8 President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump participate in the 75th anniversary of VE Day celebrations. Katie Miller, the top spokesperson for Vice President Mike Pence, tests positive for COVID-19. She is married to Stephen Miller, a top aide and speechwriter for President Trump. This suggests multiple people who work in the West Wing may have been exposed. Saturday, May 9 Sunday, May 10 Despite the COVID-19 diagnosis for one of his staff members, Vice President Pence said he would not self-isolate and would continue to work in person at the White House. Other members of the coronavirus Task Force, including Drs. Redfield, Hahn, and Fauci, however, planned to self-isolate. Monday, May 11 During a press conference, CBS News White House correspondent Weijia Jiang asks President Trump, "Why is this a global competition to you if every day Americans are still losing their lives?" referring to the number of COVID-19 tests performed daily. Trump responds by saying, "They're losing their lives everywhere in the world. And maybe that's a question you should ask China. Don't ask me, ask China that question, OK?". Tuesday, May 12 Wednesday, May 13 President Trump meets with Governor of Colorado Jared Polis and Governor of North Dakota Doug Burgum. The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 82,350. There are more than 1.37million certified COVID-19 cases. Thursday, May 14 President Trump tours Owens & Minor. Friday, May 15 President Trump delivers remarks on Operation Warp Speed. Saturday, May 16 President Trump fires Inspector General of the Department of State Steve Linick, following reports that Linick was investigating Secretary of State Mike Pompeo over reports of abuse of office. Sunday, May 17 Monday, May 18 President Trump reveals that he is taking Hydroxychloroquine, an anti-malarial drug untested for its effectiveness against COVID-19, despite FDA warnings that it may cause serious heart problems. Tuesday, May 19 Wednesday, May 20 President Trump meets with Governor of Arkansas Asa Hutchinson and Governor of Kansas Laura Kelly at the White House. The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 91,937. There are more than 1.54million certified COVID-19 cases. Thursday, May 21 President Trump tours Ford Rawsonville Components Plant. Friday, May 22 Saturday, May 23 Sunday, May 24 Monday, May 25 President Trump performs a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at the Arlington National Cemetery commemorating Memorial Day and gives a speech honoring those who have died fighting for the U.S. Tuesday, May 26 Glenn Fine, the Defense Department Principal Deputy Inspector General, submitted his resignation, effective June 1. Fine provided leadership of the COVID-19 accountability review of emergency funds. Wednesday, May 27 President Trump threatens to close or impose regulation on social media after Twitter flags his post on mail-in ballots as inaccurate. The number of deaths in the United States attributed to the COVID-19 disease is 98,937. There are more than 1.6million certified COVID-19 cases. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attend the attempted launch of the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center. However, the launch was postponed to May 30 due to the weather. Thursday, May 28 President Trump signs an executive order limiting the legal protection that social media companies have, allowing federal agencies and regulators to hold them liable if found to be violating free speech protections by deleting posts or user accounts. Friday, May 29 President Trump warns on Twitter that the "THUGS" using the protests of the murder of George Floyd, to loot and destroy businesses in Minneapolis would be shot if looting continued, adding that "when the looting starts, the shooting starts." Saturday, May 30 President Trump attends the second attempted launch of the SpaceX Dragon 2 spacecraft from the Kennedy Space Center, which the launch was finally success. Sunday, May 31 In an early morning tweet President Trump declares the United States of America will be designating ANTIFA as a terrorist organization. News reports surface claiming that on Friday night Secret Service agents rushed President Trump to a White House bunker as hundreds of protesters gathered outside the executive mansion, some of them throwing rocks and tugging at police barricades.
June 2020