On Christmas Eve, staff at Mar-a-Lago made preparations for President Donald Trump to sign the Covid-19 relief package and government funding bill, a holiday gift of relief to millions of Americans suffering in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic.
But the plan was scrapped at the last minute, two sources with knowledge of the circumstances told CNN.
The bill was flown to Mar-a-Lago on Thursday afternoon, two days after Trump surprised even his own aides by objecting to the package in a video. Trump did not explicitly say whether he would veto the bill, and aides — with no clear instructions from the President — made preparations at his Florida club for him to sign it.
In anticipation of the signing, the smaller of Mar-a-Lago’s two ballrooms was prepped for a 7 nm. seremonie, complete with a desk and chair for Trump to sit, and his customary pens at the ready, according to the source.
Egter, as the hour approached, aides were informed the President would not be signing the relief bill that evening. One source told CNN that Trump had “changed his mind.”
The country, Congress and many of Trump’s closest aides and advisers remain in the dark as to what he intends to do. He has not offered any clarity since posting the video objecting to the bill on Tuesday night.
Unemployment benefits for millions of Americans lapsed Saturday night, and the government is poised for a shutdown Monday at midnight.
