Trump Endorses Bigger Stimulus Plan

For indispensable reporting on the coronavirus crisis, the election, and more, subscribe to the Mother Jones Daily newsletter.There is almost literally no good news these days. Oh, sure, the Lakers won their series against the Rockets a few days ago, and the Dodgers clinched a postseason berth yesterday. But in the real world, things look grim.
So here’s some genuinely good news for you that didn’t get an awful lot of play:

President Trump on Wednesday called on congressional Republicans to support a massive economic relief bill with “much higher numbers” and stimulus payments for Americans, abruptly proposing an entirely different plan from what the Senate GOP sought to advance in recent days.
…Speaking at the White House on Wednesday evening, Trump expressed support — but not an explicit endorsement — for a $1.5 trillion plan unveiled Tuesday by the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus in the House. The proposal includes a new round of $1,200 stimulus checks to individual Americans, a provision omitted from an approximately $300 billion plan Senate Republicans tried unsuccessfully to pass last week.
“I like the larger amount, I’ve said that,” Trump said. “Some of the Republicans disagree, but I think I can convince them to go along with that because I like the larger number. I want to see people get money.”

Trump’s motivation is almost certainly purely political, but who cares? That’s what politics is for. But will Republicans play along?

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