Ledger · First term · № 137

'15 Days to Slow the Spread'

Late
“[paraphrase] Fifteen days of avoiding gatherings of more than 10 people, discretionary travel, bars, restaurants and food courts.”
Promised
, White House briefing, issued as federal guidance
Stated deadline
“15 days” → March 31, 2020
Re-promised
2 times with a fresh deadline
Topic
COVID-19
Era
First term

What happened

On March 29, 2020, with the fifteen days about to expire and after pushing to reopen by Easter, Trump extended the guidelines by another 30 days to April 30 — NPR's headline was 'How 15 Days Became 45.' The guidelines then lapsed into a phased 'Opening Up America Again' framework. The phrase became shorthand for a deadline that never ends.

Sources

  1. 15 Days to Slow the Spread Trump White House Archives, Mar 16, 2020
  2. How 15 Days Became 45: Trump Extends Guidelines To Slow Coronavirus NPR, Mar 30, 2020
  3. Trump extends federal social distancing guidelines to April 30 CNN, Mar 29, 2020