President Donald Trump’s push to reopen the world’s largest economy hinges on a breakthrough that has so far eluded him: ratcheting up testing capacity to stave off another wave of coronavirus.
Trump is anxious to end economy-crushing social distancing practices that have curbed the spread of the illness. He declared Monday that he has “total" authority to reopen the country, a claim disputed by legal experts and some lawmakers, while Democratic governors on each coast formed alliances to chart their own paths.
The president will announce a council of doctors and business people on Tuesday that will advise him on restoring the U.S. economy, which little more than a month ago was his top argument for re-election in November.