‘Give our people the money!’ Trump makes fresh plea to increase individual COVID aid

President Trump on Friday made a new appeal to Congress to increase coronavirus stimulus payments to everyday Americans from $600 to $2000. “Give our people the money!” he tweeted.

From his Christmas vacation spot in South Florida, Trump made phone calls as he faced resistance in his own Republican party to increase the payments while holding out signing the legislation Congress passed earlier this week.

His pressure left in doubt whether Congress would have to come back next week during the holiday break to avoid a government shutdown.  

“Made many calls and had meetings at Trump International in Palm Beach, Fla. Why would politicians not want to give people $2000, rather than only $600?,” he tweeted. “It wasn’t their fault, it was China. Give our people the money!”