President Trump said Thursday that he’s told Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin to offer more than $1.8 trillion in stimulus negotiations with Democrats, but “he hasn’t come home with the bacon.”
“I would go higher [than $1.8 trillion], I’d like to see more money,” Mr. Trump said on Fox Business. “I’ve told him, [but] so far he hasn’t come home with the bacon.”
The administration has gradually increased its offers above the roughly $1 trillion initially proposed by Senate Republicans. Asked why the White House doesn’t agree to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s demand for $2.2 trillion, the president replied, “She’s asking for all sorts of goodies.”
“She wants to bail out badly run Democrat states and cities,” Mr. Trump said. “She wants money for things that you would never, you just couldn’t, your pride couldn’t let it happen. We’re not holding it up, she’s holding it up. She’s got a lot of mental problems. She wants to wait until after the election, she thinks it hurts the Republicans. We’re dealing with radical left people that’s lost their minds.”
Mr. Mnuchin said Wednesday that it would be “difficult” to reach a new coronavirus aid deal and implement it before the Nov. 3 election. He said the administration would at least like to get congressional authorization to spend $300 billion in unspent funds from an earlier package to help airlines, struggling businesses and unemployed workers.
