Donald Trump Says He’s Discussed Coronavirus Pandemic With Son Barron

President Donald Trump revealed he discussed the coronavirus pandemic with his youngest son, Barron Trump, during Monday’s press conference. The president also unveiled strict guidelines for Americans during the pandemic, including avoiding gatherings of 10 or more people and only to order for takeout and delivery at restaurants. There are more than 4,600 coronavirus cases in the U.S. as of Monday afternoon.

“I’ve spoken actually with my son,” Trump said, reports NBC News. “He says, ‘How bad is this?’ It’s bad. It’s bad. But we’re going to be hopefully a best-case, not a worst-case.”

Trump did not mention 13-year-old Barron by name, but he is the only one of Trump’s sons living at the White House. Trump shares Barron with First Lady Melania Trump. The president is also father to daughters Ivanka, 38, and Tiffany, 26; and sons Donald Jr., 42, and Eric, 36.

Elsewhere in his Monday press conference, Trump said he coronavirus crisis could continue through July or August. He also unveiled new guidelines for the next 15 days, which includes avoiding large gatherings of more than 10 people and not eating at restaurants and bars. Americans should also work from home if possible and states were advised to close restaurants, bars and school.

“Each and every one of us has a critical role to play in stopping the spread and transmission of the virus,” Trump said Monday, reports Politico. “If everyone makes this change or these critical changes and sacrifices now, we will rally together as one nation, and we will defeat the virus, and we’re going to have a big celebration altogether. With several weeks of focused action, we can turn the corner and turn it quickly.”

Dr. Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, stressed the guidelines are only for the next 15 days and will be re-evaluated going forward. He explained the guidelines must be taken seriously and was not an overreaction.

“It isn’t that these guidelines are now gonna be in effect until July,” Fauci explained. “What the president was saying is the trajectory of the outbreak may go until then.”

Trump acknowledged the U.S. “may be” facing a recession due to the economic impact of the virus. On Monday, the Dow Jones industrial dropped 12.9%, the second-worst percentage drop in history.

“We’re not thinking in terms of recession. We’re thinking in terms of the virus,” Trump said, reports USA Today. “Once we stop, I think there’s a tremendous pent-up demand both in terms of the stock market, in terms of the economy.”

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the coronavirus, has killed more than 7,000 people worldwide, including 85 in the U.S., as of Monday night, according to Johns Hopkins University data.

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