Trump: No rift with Fauci over virus response

President Donald Trump denied any rift with a key member of his White House Coronavirus Task Force, Dr. Anthony Fauci, a day after the president retweeted a tweet that included the hashtag "#FireFauci."

Asked by a reporter at Monday's White House briefing if he and Fauci "were on the same page," the president insisted they were.

"Yeah, we have from the beginning. I don't know what it is exactly, but if I put somebody's opinion up, you know, I don''t mind controversy," the president said.

"I think controversy is a good thing, not a bad thing. But I want it to be honest controversy," Trump said.

Fauci told an interviewer over the weekend that there would have been fewer deaths in the US due to the coronavirus, if social distancing and mitigation efforts started earlier.

Monday, Fauci took to the podium to clarify that statement and indicate that Trump took his advice as the health crisis loomed.

During the briefing, Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said the administration is mulling additional ways to stimulate the economy through additional legislation.

The president also declined to say if he would try to reopen the US economy by May 1st, but said his administration will provide additional guidance in the coming days.

And he said he would consider the views of two of his top health experts, Fauci, and Dr. Deborah Birx, the response coordinator of his White House task force.

But he said he would weigh that advice against the advice of "many other people."

(Image Credit: AP)