During the Friday Coronavirus Task Force briefing, the Trump Administration revealed that, in agreement with Mexico, the U.S. southern border will be closed to nonessential travel, joining Canada in the measure, beginning at midnight on Saturday.
"We're treating the border equally, the northern and the southern border," Trump said. "A lot of people say that they're not treated equally, well they are."
He also confirmed various measures that the administration has voiced support for in recent days, including directing federal lenders to allow borrowers to suspend interest payments on student loans for the next 60 days; suspending standardized testing requirements for public schools across the country; and extending the tax filing deadline from April 15 to July 15.
In addition, Trump said he has officially invoked the Defense Production Act and mandated manufacturers to produce needed medical supplies, though he did not provide details.
"I invoked the Defense Production Act, and last night we put it into gear," he said.
The administration initially appeared resistant to invoking the act after Trump signed the bill earlier this week, but in the days since there has been continued pressure from members of Congress, including Minority Leader Sen. Chuck Schumer, and state governors about supply shortages.
Also during the conference, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo emphasized that the State Department had implemented a Level 4 travel advisory warning Americans against traveling abroad and that all U.S. citizens abroad "should arrange immediate return" unless they want to stay put for an extended period.
He also urged Americans to seek out reliable sources of information as misinformation spreads, explicitly denying a conspiracy theory that the coronavirus originated in the U.S. military.
The secretary's indictment of "bad actors" spreading bad information was followed by Trump harshly criticizing NBC News White House correspondent Peter Alexander.
"I'd say you are a terrible reporter," Trump said after Alexander asked if Trump's optimism about the country's preparedness to handle the outbreak was misleading Americans.
He later doubled down on his positive view of the U.S. response.
"I feel good about it. It's just a feeling. I'm a smart guy," he said.
