Trump taps emergency powers as virus relief plan proceeds President Donald Trump has invoked rarely used emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against the coronavirus pandemicWASHINGTON -- Describing himself as a “wartime president” fighting an invisible enemy, President Donald Trump on Wednesday invoked rarely used emergency powers to marshal critical medical supplies against the coronavirus pandemic. Gone were nearly all the gains that the Dow Jones Industrial Average had made since Trump took office. The administration announcements came on a fast-moving day of developments across the capital, its empty streets standing in contrast to the whirlwind of activity inside the grand spaces of the White House and the Capitol. The White House urged hospitals to cancel all elective surgeries to reduce the risk of being overwhelmed by cases. The White House has had several coronavirus-related health scares, with the president himself exposed to at least three people who later tested positive.

Source: ABC News March 18, 2020 15:22 UTC