- President Donald Trump called the former baseball player Alex Rodriguez for his thoughts on the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak, ABC News reported Friday evening.
- The call was reportedly part of a number of calls Trump made this week regarding the virus and its impact on the country.
- Rodriguez is not a medical or public health expert.
- Trump has contradicted public health experts in statements on how to limit the spread of the coronavirus and ease the burden on the healthcare system.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
President Donald Trump apparently called former Yankee's player Alex Rodriguez for his thoughts on the administration's response to the coronavirus outbreak, ABC News reported Friday evening.
During marathon day of meetings earlier this week, President Trump continued outreach across the country regarding coronavirus & phoned former Yankees baseball player Alex Rodriguez. Multiple sources tell ABC, the president spoke to ARod from the Oval Office via me & @KFaulders
— John Santucci (@Santucci) March 28, 2020
Rodriguez is not a medical or public health expert.
Source told ABC that neither Rodriguez or his fiancé Jennifer Lopez will have any official role in the effort, but one source close to the baseball star reportedly said the call with the president was "pleasant."
ABC also reported that the call was part of a number of calls Trump made this week regarding the virus and its impact on the country.
The call - asking A-Rod for his thoughts - was part of Trump’s continued outreach across the country about the virus. Trump spent much of his week speaking to business leaders & others about how the country is handling the pandemic. https://t.co/UpH5zzKRcE
— Katherine Faulders (@KFaulders) March 28, 2020
The US currently has the highest number of confirmed coronavirus cases in the world with more than 104,000 infected and close to 1,700 deaths.
Trump signed a $2 trillion coronavirus package today that would assist businesses and individual Americans. But the president has also said in recent days he wanted to open the country back up by Easter, despite public health officials saying a longer lockdown is needed to help curb the spread of the outbreak.
Additionally, Trump has been critical of governors who are asking the federal government for more support to curb outbreaks in their state. In an interview with Fox New's Sean Hannity, the president said he doubted states need the number of ventilators they're requesting.
"New York is a bigger deal, but it's going to go, also," Trump said. "But I have a feeling that a lot of the numbers that are being said in some areas are just bigger than they're going to be. I don't believe you need 40,000 or 30,000 ventilators."
Healthcare workers have been requesting additional supplies and personal protective equipment to be able to handle the influx of new coronavirus cases.
The White House did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.
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