What it means for Trump to declare a national emergency to fight the coronavirus

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Trump declares state of emergency in the US

(CNN) - United States President Donald Trump announced Friday that he was declaring a national emergency - "two very important words" - to free up $ 50 billion in federal resources to fight the coronavirus. According to him, this action "would unleash the full power of the federal government."

Speaking from the White House, Trump brought together executives from US retail companies to announce that they were donating resources with the goal of building across the United States. facilities where tests can be performed from the car.

He also noted that he would not apply interest on student loans and that he was buying more oil to fill the US strategic reserve "to the top."

• READ: Trump misrepresents the ban on entry from Europe during prime time, causing confusion

Trump's announcement concludes a week of cancellations and restrictions that have altered the lives of nearly all Americans as the virus spreads to most states.

After a speech delivered this Wednesday in primetime - which preceded a historic decline in shares - Trump faced pressure to demonstrate the handling of the crisis.

And although he announced new new steps this Friday, the president assured during a question and answer session that he does not feel responsible for the early failures in the tests that, according to health experts, led to a greater spread.

"I am not responsible at all," he replied, insisting that the problems that led to the slow distribution of evidence were the responsibility of previous governments.

What does it mean to declare a state of emergency?

Trump's decision includes declaring a national emergency and invoking the Stafford Act, which allows access to additional funds, according to a source with knowledge of this measure. The national emergency also gives access to the authorities.

Although he announced an increase in the ability to test for coronavirus, the president said Friday that he did not believe that all Americans should rush to get tested.

"We don't want people to take a test if we think they shouldn't. And we don't want everyone to run and take them, only if you have certain symptoms, "said Trump.

Trump, who started the intervention praising himself for his response to the outbreak, still seemed to believe that the spread would be limited and that not everyone in the country would require access to evidence.

"We don't want everyone to take this test. It is totally unnecessary, ”he insisted.

But he also suggested that the virus would get worse before there was finally an improvement, although he used imprecise terms to explain his thinking.

"It could get worse. The next eight weeks are critical, "he said. “Some of the doctors say that it will flow, that it will wash. Interesting terms ”.

Trump has faced pressure to take more decisive action, as the virus begins to alter the daily lives of almost all Americans.

• READ: In the case of the coronavirus, Trump is a disaster that walks, talks and tweets

This Friday, the president explained plans to increase screening tests, an early and critical failure that, according to public health experts, led to the increase in the outbreak.

This Thursday, CNN reported that Trump had decided to declare the emergency, but that the measure was still legally under review in the White House.

Washington Governor Democrat Jay Inslee spoke with Vice President Mike Pence on Thursday and asked that the Trump administration declare an emergency in order to provide vital assistance to the states most affected by the coronavirus crisis, such as the Washington case, an official from that state told CNN.

The official also told CNN that "they hope the announcement (on Friday) will provide the kind of assistance the governor requested."

White House aides have evaluated the move over the past few days as a way to gain more resources to combat the coronavirus outbreak. Trump is also debating whether or not to endorse a legislative package to fight the virus, which was negotiated by Speaker of the House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin.

"We have things I can do, we have very strong emergency powers under the Stafford Act," Trump told reporters Thursday in the Oval Office, referring to the federal standard that mandates national disasters and emergencies. “I have practically memorized the powers in that law. And if I need to do something, I will. I have the right to do many things that people don't even know, "added the president.

But he did not say whether he planned to make the statement later.

"I don't want to say that," he noted.

The statement would free up funds and allow the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to direct certain aspects of the outbreak response.

Earlier this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, along with Democratic Senators Patty Murray of Washington and Gary Peters of Michigan, sent a letter to Trump asking him to "immediately" consider disaster declaration requests for the coronavirus.

Jim Acosta, Kaitlan Collins, and Priscilla Alvarez, all from CNN, contributed to this report.

State of emergency