Live updates: President Trump says he will not negotiate COVID-19 relief, so the markets dropped

President Donald Trump tweeted Tuesday that he will not negotiate with House Democrats on coronavirus relief until after the 2020 election.

He said Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi “is not negotiating in good faith.”

• “I am rejecting their request, and looking to the future of our Country. I have instructed my representatives to stop negotiating until after the election when, immediately after I win, we will pass a major Stimulus Bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Business.”

Trump said he asked Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell “not to delay, but to instead focus full time on approving my outstanding nominee to the United States Supreme Court, Amy Coney Barrett. Our Economy is doing very well. The Stock Market is at record levels, JOBS and unemployment also coming back in record numbers. We are leading the World in Economic Recovery, and THE BEST IS YET TO COME!”

The Dow dropped immediately after the tweets:

Trump has ‘no symptoms’ of COVID-19

Trump’s doctor released a new update on the president’s condition, saying the president has “no symptoms.”

• “Overall he continues to do extremely well,” Dr. Sean Conley said in the memo.
• Conley said Trump remains at the White House where he had a “restful first night.”

People with COVID-19 may experience symptoms from two to 14 days after exposure to the virus. The CDC says people should quarantine for 14 days after testing positive.

• “Available data indicates that persons with mild to moderate COVID-19 remain infectious no longer than 10 days after symptom onset. Persons with more severe to critical illness or severe immunocompromise likely remain infectious no longer than 20 days after symptom onset,” according to the CDC.

Trump headed to Miami?

Trump said Tuesday that he is looking forward to an upcoming presidential debate with Democratic nominee Joe Biden, even as the president continues to battle COVID-19.

“I am looking forward to the debate on the evening of Thursday, October 15th in Miami. It will be great!”

Trump also took shots at Mike Bloomberg, who ran for president in the Democratic primary. Trump also suggested he would be a better candidate for seniors than Biden.

Trump downplays the coronavirus

Earlier, Trump compared the novel coronavirus to the flu Tuesday morning.

The president has returned to the White House after being hospitalized due to COVID-19.

• “Flu season is coming up! Many people every year, sometimes over 100,000, and despite the Vaccine, die from the Flu. Are we going to close down our Country? No, we have learned to live with it, just like we are learning to live with Covid, in most populations far less lethal!!!”

Trump also released a pair of tweets that attacked Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden.

Reporters pointed out that Trump’s latest tweet is similar to one he wrote back on March 9, 2020, in which he compared COVID-19 to the flu:

Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests somewhere around 36,000 people on average died annually in the United States from the flu in the last decade. Meanwhile, 200,000 people have died from COVID-19 since March.