While President Trump said he wants to reopen the economy by May 1, public health experts are adamant that if the country doesn't address the continuing coronavirus testing shortages and develop more aggressive virus tracking measures, reopening the economy might not just put Americans back to work it could put them in danger. 

But now that his once-hoped-for goal of reopening the country by Easter has come and gone, President Trump has set his sights on May 1 as a target date as he moves to launch an economic-focused council to tackle what a reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic would look like.

At the same time, on Monday he claimed he has power over the nation's governors in setting the terms of any reopening in individual states.

The president has referred to the looming reopening decision as the “toughest” he's faced in his presidency and told Fox News over the weekend that it will be based on a combination of facts and personal "instinct."

SOURCE: ABC NEWS