President Trump's news conference was interrupted for a brief time yesterday. After speaking for a few minutes, the President was escorted out by a Secret Service member. Soon, it was revealed that a shooting incident had taken place near the building, but more on that in a minute.
Once the briefing resumed, the President discussed a range of topics including mail-in voting, the stock market and more. Among them:
President Trump is once again slamming mail-in voting. He noted a story in Virginia where incorrect information was printed on absentee ballot applications and mailed to over half a million voters. He called it an "unprecedented mailing flub" and added it raises concerns about the integrity of expanding mail-in voting.
He praised the state of the stock market despite economic hardships brought by the coronavirus pandemic – and said the Dow Jones Industrial Average and S&P 500 are 50-percent above levels in March. He added the Nasdaq is setting new records. Trump also noted the U.S. has created nine-million jobs in the last few months.
Speaking about the ‘current state of affairs’ in the country, Trump said he’s considering expanded tax cuts – adding that a capital gains tax cut is being discussed. He added the measure would help start mass job creation. Trump also noted an income tax cut for middle-class families “is possible.”
As for the shooting, the Secret Service says a 51-year-old man approached a uniformed officer near the White House Complex, told him he had a weapon and took a shooting stance – running towards the officer and taking something out of his clothing in a drawing motion. The Secret Service officer then fired his weapon, hitting the man in the torso. Both the suspect and officer were taken to the hospital. The suspect’s condition was unclear at press time.
Source: White House