Trump rules out changing date of November presidential election

“Why would I do that? November 3, it’s a good number,” says the U.S. President

April 28, 2020 08:09 am | Updated 09:28 am IST - Washington

U.S. President Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump

U.S. President Donald Trump has ruled out making any changes in the date of the November 3 presidential election because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Also read: Can Joe Biden defeat Donald Trump in November?

“I never even thought of changing the date of the election. Why would I do that? November 3, it’s a good number”, Mr. Trump told reporters at his White House news conference.

His likely Democratic opponent Joe Biden last week said Mr. Trump was considering changing the date . “Mark my words, I think he is gonna try to kick back the election somehow, come up with some rationale why it can’t be held,” Mr. Biden said during an online fundraiser.

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“No, I look forward to that election and that was just made a propaganda not by him but by some of the many people that are working writing little segments. I see all of the time statements made you say something statement made per Joe Biden, Sleepy Joe,” Mr. Trump said.

“He didn’t make those statements. Somebody did but they said he made it. No, let him know I am not thinking about it at all. Not at all,” he said.

'Coronavirus deaths could reach 70,000'

Meanwhile Mr. Trump is projecting that coronavirus deaths in the United States could reach 70,000, but says original projections were much higher as he explained why voters should consider re-electing him in November.

Trump has at times this month cited 60,000 as the estimate of how many people would die from COVID-19.

Trump was asked during a White House news conference on Monday whether an American President deserved to be re-elected after losing more Americans in six weeks than died in the Vietnam War.

The number of dead in the U.S. from COVID-19 surpassed 55,000, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

Mr. Trump said the nation has lost a lot of people.

But if you look at what original projections were — 2.2 million — we’re probably heading to 60,000-70,000. It’s far too many. One person is too many for this. And I think we’ve made a lot of really good decisions. The big decision was closing the border or doing the ban, people coming in from China.

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