President Donald Trump held a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to talk about the administration's handling of the coronavirus with all of hi...
President Donald Trump held a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday to talk about the administration's handling of the coronavirus with all of his advisers present and accounted for, meaning there was no designated survivor left out of the gathering during the time of a national pandemic.
That doesn't mean the line of succession was not assured: Speaker Nancy Pelosi and President Pro Temp of the Senate Chuck Grassley follow Vice President Mike Pence to take over as commander-in-chief. Neither Pelosi nor Grassley were present at Tuesday's meeting.
One cabinet official can be left out of large gatherings of government officials - such as happens every year at the State of the Union address - to ensure the continuity of government should a catastrophic event occur.
None of Trump's cabinet was missing from Tuesday's meeting, however.
At the meeting Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin showed Trump the new coronavirus stimulus prepaid debit cards, presenting the president with a sample card with his name on it.
The prepaid cards will be sent out to Americans who do not have bank accounts or haven't provided the IRS with account details.
Mnuchin said: 'We now have developed debit cards. In an effort to expedite money to people even quicker in a very safe way, I'm pleased to show you what a debit card looks like with your name on it, Mr. President.
'We think debit cards are a safe and secure way of delivering refunds.'
President Donald Trump held a Cabinet meeting to talk about the administration's handling of the coronavirus with all of his advisers present and accounted for, meaning there was no designated survivor left out
Trump holds up a copy of an executive order he signed on DOT deregulation, during a meeting with his cabinet in the East Room of the White House
US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin shows Trump a pre-paid debit card during a meeting with his cabinet Tuesday
Trump examines a sample coronavirus pandemic relief debit card he was handed at the cabinet meeting
One cabinet official can be left out of large gatherings of government officials to ensure the continuity of government should a catastrophic event occur
(L-R) White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany, Senior Advisor to the President Jared Kushner and Advisor to the President Ivanka Trump attend a meeting of President Donald Trump with his cabinet on Tuesday in the Cabinet Room of the White House
White House advisors Jared Kushner, Ivanka Trump and Hope Hicks attend President Trumps cabinet in the East Room of the White House Tuesday
Speaker Nancy Pelosi follows Vice President Mike Pence in the line of succession and was not at Tuesday's Cabinet meeting. She is seen above arriving for a ceremonial swearing-in event for new Republican House Representatives at the U.S. Capitol
The cabinet meeting came after the president traveled to Capitol Hill to have lunch with Republican senators, who were not tested for the coronavirus before gathering with Trump to eat.
Most of the senators wore masks as they headed into their meeting with the president. The physician of the Capitol recommended lawmakers and their staff wear masks on Capitol Hill but said there were not enough tests to cover all lawmakers.
Several senators said 'no' they had not been tested ahead of Tuesday's luncheon.
'No,' Republican Sen. Richard Shelby of Alabama told The Hill newspaper, before adding 'a test would be good for all of us probably.'
Senators have moved their weekly luncheon out of the Capitol building itself to one of the Senate buildings across the street in order to use a bigger room so senators can spread out while they eat their boxed lunches. They are supposed to sit with only three lawmakers per table.
The virus has struck Capitol Hill. Republican Senator Rand Paul tested positive for the disease in March and some Senate staff have had it.
There have also been cases of the virus at the White House with aides close to President Trump and Vice President Pence testing positive.
The White House does coronavirus testing at its complex for those meeting with the president. Officials have also tested factory workers who were coming into contact with Trump during his visits to Honeywell Factory in Phoenix two weeks ago and a factory in Allentown, Pennsylvania, last week.
The Trump administration has several protocols in place during the coronavirus pandemic, which has infected more than 1.5 million Americans and killed more than 90,000.
Counselor to the President Hope Hicks listens as President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the East Room of the White House, Tuesday
Ivanka Trump listens as her father, President Donald Trump speaks during a Cabinet Meeting in the East Room
Mask on: Ivanka and husband Jared are seen waiting for the cabinet meeting to begin in the East Room of the White House
Trump smiles as Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin hands him a debit card that will be used to send payments by the Treasury Department to Americans
Trump smiles as he holds a debit card handed to him by Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin that will be used to send payments to Americans
Mnuchin holds up a new debit card to be used to distribute COVID-19 relief funds to the public during a Cabinet meeting
Anyone meeting the president gets a coronavirus test and any person coming into the White House complex gets their temperature tested at the gate. Senior White House staff and others with regular contact with the president are tested daily.
At Tuesday's Cabinet meeting, officials were seated apart in accordance with social distancing but none of them were wearing masks.
But the Food and Drug Administration warned about the reliability of the rapid-results test used to detect the coronavirus. Created by Abbott Laboratories, it is used by the White House to test those meeting with the president.
A study earlier this month indicated that test could be missing as many as 48% of coronavirus infections.
There are other measures in place.
Trump admitted on Monday he's taking a daily dose of hydroxychloroquine as a preventative measure against the coronavirus.
He has previously touted hydroxychloroquine as a coronavirus 'cure', but the FDA has warned the drug - which is typically used to treat malaria - has a range of possibly lethal side-effects and has not been proven as an effective COVID-19 treatment.
Several studies are underway into the drug's effectiveness in treating coronavirus and whether it can also protect against the disease, but so far there is no clear evidence it is beneficial.
'You're not going to get sick or die,' Trump said on Monday about taking the medication. 'I've taken it about for a week and a half now. And I'm still here.'
Ahead of his Cabinet meeting, President Trump was on Capitol Hill for lunch with Republican senators, none of whom were tested for coronavirus ahead of the sit-down
Senators John Barasso and Mitch McConnell wear face masks while they listen to President Trump answers questions from the media after their lunch on Capitol Hill
At least two White House staffers tested positive for the coronavirus this month, both of whom had access to the president: his Navy valet who serves him meals and Vice President Mike Pence's press secretary Katie Miller, who speaks for the Coronavirus Task Force and is married to Trump senior adviser Stephen Miller.
The president came under fire after admitting to taking hydroxychloroquine.
Following Trump's admission, Speaker Nancy Pelosi was among a host of doctors and politicians who branded the move irresponsible.
Pelosi told CNN: 'He's our president and I would rather he not be taking something that has not been approved by the scientists. Especially in his age group and in his, shall we say, weight group, what is morbidly obese, they say. So, I think that it's not a good idea.'
In return, Trump blasted her as a 'sick woman' with a lot of 'mental problems' after she called him 'morbidly obese' and he claimed academic research showing the dangers of hydroxychloroquine was done by his enemies.
'Pelosi is a sick woman she's got a lot of problems, a lot of mental problems,' President Trump said during a visit to Capitol Hill where he had lunch with Senate Republicans.
The president also defended his daily dosage at his Cabinet meeting on Tuesday.
'I've had no impact from it. I feel the same. I haven't changed I don't think too much,' he said.
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