President Trump Criticizes Stimulus Package in Twitter Video

Last night, in a video posted to Twitter, President Trump criticized the $900 billion relief package Congress passed on Monday, calling it a “disgrace” and saying it has “almost nothing to do with Covid.” It wasn’t clear whether he would sign it.

Trump’s opposition was a complete surprise. The president had stayed on the sidelines of negotiations as a bipartisan group of lawmakers compromised on a bill that would provide relief to Americans and businesses suffering from the pandemic.

• The highlights of the package were more than $300 billion for small businesses, direct payments of up to $600 for individual Americans, and added unemployment insurance until mid-March.

That wasn’t enough for Trump

The president said, “I am asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000, or $4,000 for a couple.”

Democrats...don’t hate it. Having fought for a more generous bill in the first place, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted, “Democrats are ready to bring this to the Floor this week by unanimous consent. Let’s do it!” A vote on $2,000 checks could come Thursday.

Zoom out: We don’t know yet whether President Trump will derail the bill. Aides told the WSJ this statement was more Trump celebrating Festivus one day early by airing his grievances, rather than a legitimate threat to block the stimulus package.