President Donald Trump and top White House officials during a phone call with Wall Street executives Tuesday reportedly backed off the president's plan to end a suggested quarantine period by Easter and suggested the size of the stimulus package related to the coronavirus pandemic could hit $10 trillion and even exceed that figure, reports Fox Business host Charlie Gasparino.
Trump earlier Tuesday said he hoped to have the economy reopen by Easter, telling Fox News "we're opening up this incredible country, because we have to do that.
"I would love to have that," he continued. "It's such an important day for other reasons, but I'd love to make it an important day for this. I would love to have the country opened up, and rarin' to go by Easter."
His tone was different later in the day during a phone call with Wall Street investors, according to people with direct knowledge of the matter who spoke with Gasparino.
"The fire power here is like nothing we have ever seen," said one person with direct knowledge of the call.
Trump was on the nearly 40-minute call with economic adviser Larry Kudlow, Vice President Mike Pence, and about half a dozen Wall Street big shots, including hedge fund investor Ken Griffin of Citadel management, Stephen Schwarzman, chief executive of private equity powerhouse the Blackstone Group, Dan Loeb, the CEO of hedge fund Third Point Capital.
Jeffrey Sprecher, the CEO of the Intercontinental Exchange, owner of the New York Stock Exchange, Vista Equity Partners CEO Robert Smith, and long-time hedge fund investor Paul Tudor Jones of Tudor Capital, were also on the call.
Trump's demeanor was thoughtful, according to one person on the call, and the president made it clear they were "looking to balance people's health needs without crippling the economy and pushing the country into a depression."
"He listened a lot and didn't interrupt," said the person.
Solange Reyner ✉
Solange Reyner is a writer and editor for Newsmax. She has more than 15 years in the journalism industry reporting and covering news, sports and politics.
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