President Donald Trump continues to push for a return to normalcy amid the coronavirus pandemic.
During a Thursday press briefing at the White House, Trump advocated for students to remain in the classroom and for college football to return.
"[It's] crucial for colleges and universities to stay open, we hope that they do indeed stay open," Trump said. "We want to see Big Ten football, we hope it's coming back."
He said he wants to see the conference play, even if some schools opt out.
"I have a feeling they may do it without everybody," Trump said. "But people are working very, very hard to get Big Ten football back. I'm pushing for it, and it'll be a great thing for our country."
He then called out Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan to put pressure on the schools to participate in a football season.
"[I] hope that Michigan agrees," he said of the Democrat governor. "I know the governor will have a lot to say about it; we hope she approves it."
In addition to bringing sports back, Trump said students should remain on college campuses. Some schools with virus outbreaks have sent students home, which can then cause the virus to keep spreading.
"The alternative is no good, going home, spreading the virus to high-risk Americans," Trump said. "They want to be on campus, they want to go back to school, and the parents want them back to school, maybe more so than they want to be back in school."
In his support of schools staying open, Trump referenced data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that estimated about 0.2% of COVID-19 deaths have occurred in people under 25 years of age.
He said young people have an "extremely low risk" for complications from the virus and there is "no substitute for in-person learning."
"As part of our science-based approach, we want schools to safely open and stay open," Trump said.
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