President Donald Trump on Friday suggested he would use his own judgment, not any particular economic or health metrics, to decide when to reopen the economy.
Asked by a reporter at his administration’s daily briefing on the coronavirus pandemic what metrics he would use to determine when to reopen the economy, Trump pointed to his head. “The metrics right here,” he said. “That’s my metrics. That’s all I can do.”
Trump said he would take the opinions of his medical advisers ― including Surgeon General Jerome Adams and Dr. Anthony Fauci ― into account, but would also listen to the guidance of Vice President Mike Pence and others.
The coronavirus pandemic has shut down wide swaths of the American economy and has caused 18,000 deaths in the U.S. so far. Some Trump advisers and business leaders have lobbied the president to end the social distancing measures and closures meant to battle the spread of the disease soon in order to start rebuilding the economy and help the president win reelection.
But many medical experts have warned full economic activity won’t be able to resume for a month or more, and fear a second spike in the number of infections and deaths if government officials attempt to rush the reopening of society. | 
