
US President Donald Trump signaled he will not sign the coronavirus relief bill passed by Congress unless it amends the massive spending legislation.
“Send me a suitable bill or else the next administration will have to deliver a Covid relief package and maybe that administration will be me and we will get it done,” he said in a video released on Twitter.
The extraordinary message came after Trump largely left negotiations over the measure to lawmakers and his Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin. It leaves the future of the $900 billion stimulus package and its accompanying government funding measure in question.
Trump did not explicitly threaten to veto the bill, but said he was dissatisfied with its final state.
The statement was filmed by the White House and was not open to the media. Reporters did not have a chance to ask the President questions. It’s unclear when the message was recorded.
“I’m asking Congress to amend this bill and increase the ridiculously low $600 to $2,000 or $4,000 per couple,” Trump said. “I’m also asking Congress to immediately get rid of the wasteful and unnecessary items in this legislation or to send me a suitable bill.”
The President has in the past said he would sign the bill, and earlier Tuesday the White House publicly defended the proposal. But many of his allies have spoken out against the agreement passed by Congress.






