6:57 p.m. ET, April 30, 2020
Trump discusses possible funding to states as part of a phase four stimulus package
From CNN's Jason Hoffman
President Donald Trump speaks during an event in the East Room of the White House April 30, in Washington, DC.
Win McNamee/Getty Images
President Trump discussed what aid to states and localities might look like as part of a phase four stimulus package.
Trump was asked if he would support giving $1 trillion dollars to states and localities, a number floated by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. Trump said that Democrats want to help the states in the form of bailouts. He also said that it was states with Democratic governors that are asking for money.
“They happen to be Democratic states. It's California, it’s New York, it’s Illinois, you start with those three. And the Republican states are in strong shape. You know, I don't know, is that luck or talent? Or is it just a different mentality? But the Republican run states are in strong shape,” Trump said.
Trump said that Democrats should have brought funding for states up earlier when Republicans wanted certain things.
“Maybe the Democrats should have brought this up earlier when we wanted certain things. And I said specifically, let's look at it later on down the road,” Trump said.
Democrats pushed to have funding for states included in the most recent stimulus package, but ultimately passed the stimulus without it. Pelosi has said that state and local funding will be included in the next stimulus package.
"We will have state and local and we will have it in a very significant way," Pelosi said on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday.
Trump said that Republicans are in a much better negotiating position on funding for states and if they agree to it, Republicans “have to get something for it.”
“I think we want to take a little bit of a pause but if we do that we have to get something for it,” Trump said.
When asked about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s remarks that states should declare bankruptcy, Trump said, “I have spoken to him about it very strongly and we are going to see what happens. We will take a little bit of a pause, we’ll see what happens, but some states are in trouble,” Trump said.