- When and how to get thecountry up and running again.

That'll be focus of a secondcoronavirus task force.

CBN White House correspondent Ben Kennedy

joins us from the North Lawn.

Ben, this clearly is a toppriority or the president.

- Yeah, John, no doubt.

You're right, this new group'smain priority is the economy

which you were just talking about

which is weighing heavilyon both the American public

and the president himself.

He calls it the biggestdecision he's ever had to make,

when and how to reopen the country.

This becoming the latest battle

to take center stage in the West Wing.

President Trump hoping torollback restrictions by May.

- The President of the UnitedStates has the authority

to do what the president has the authority

to do which is very powerful.

The President of the UnitedStates calls the shots.

- [Ben] But some saythat's not so clear cut.

- I think generally the powerresides with the states,

and my guess is the court wouldbend in that direction also.

It's difficult to imagine the necessity

of national policy when it comes

to the reopening of theeconomy, for example.

- Several states from New York

to California are already talking

about ways to take this next step.

Steve, you're talking about

different states, different businesses.

Bottom line, what needs to bedone to reopen the economy?

- The president's gonna needto issue an executive order

saying that certain states can open

but ultimately the logistics of

this will be decided bythe nation's governors.

- [Ben] President Trump making one move

with an economic task force

he's calling the OpeningOur Country Council.

He plans to take a leading role

alongside new Chief of Staff Mark Meadows

who will play a supporting role.

The White House hasassembled an expert panel

of doctors and businessleaders to join the task force.

Trump predicts once doors are open again,

the economy will take off like a rocket.

Observers warn some workers and even

consumers will be hesitantto return to life as it was.

- I think if the government can focus

on consumer confidence withthe underlying principle

of the communications being truth

then I think demandwill start to come back

because ultimately this economicissue is a demand issue.

It's not a supply issue anddemand is gonna be a function

of how well consumerconfidence rebounds from

what's obviously a significantdecline from cyclical highs.

- How long do you think it'll take

before we're basically back to normal?

- (chuckles) When are wegonna get back to normal?

That is the question thatall of us want an answer to.

It's not going to be likean ignition switch of a car

that we can just reopen the economy

and everybody's gonna get back to work.

I wish that were the case.

It's gonna take, in my opinion,about three of four months

before we have the end of this recession

and it's gonna be a slow recovery.

- The CDC says the first step to

re-opening is widespread testingwhich is not yet available.

It'll also likely be a year

before a coronavirus vaccine that is.