Trump asks sports team owners to help work out when to reopen economy, says he’s tired of watching old baseball games

‘I would say maybe I watch one batter then I get back to work’

President Donald Trump will be consulting sports team owners to help him figure out when to reopen the economy, as he says he is bored of watching old baseball games.

During his daily briefing on Tuesday, Mr Trump told reporters that he will be consulting with sport team owners and commissioners.

He listed Mark Cuban, owner of the Dallas Mavericks, Robert Kraft, owner of the New England patriots and Jerry Jones, owner of the Dallas Cowboys.

Mr Trump also listed commissioners who will be consulted, including Rob Manfred, the MLB commissioner, Adam Silver, the NBA commissioner, and Dana White from UFC, among others.

The president joked during the briefing that sports need to come back soon, as he’s bored of watching old matches on repeat.

“We have to get our sports back,” he said. “I’m tired of watching baseball games that are 14 years old.

“But I haven’t actually had too much time to watch. I would say maybe I watch one batter then I get back to work.”

Mr Cuban told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram via email that he was told about the announcement an hour before Mr Trump’s briefing, and said: “I’ll do what I can to help”.

President Trump claimed on Tuesday that some states will be able to reopen their economies and ease social distancing measures by the end of April.

“I will be speaking to all 50 governors very shortly,” he said, “and I will then be authorising each individual governor of each individual state to implement a reopening and a very powerful reopening plan of their state at a time and in a manner as most appropriate.”

Mr Trump added: “The day will be very close because certain states, as you know, are in a much different condition and are in a much different place than other states. It’s going to be very very close. Maybe even before the date of May 1.”

According to a tracking project hosted by Johns Hopkins University, the US has upwards of 609,696 people have tested positive for coronavirus. The death toll has reached at least 26,059.