Trump: 20 US states planning to reopen 'soon'

US President Donald Trump said Tuesday there are now 20 states that are preparing to reopen businesses and their economies "in the very near future."

Trump said those states amount to about 40 percent of the country, adding they will reopen safely and "with tremendous passion."

The president also hailed the Senate's passing of the latest nearly $500 billion coronavirus relief funding package.

The bill would replenish a small-business Paycheck Protection Program for businesses with up to 500 workers and provide additional funding for hospitals and other health care providers. It would also pay for coronavirus testing efforts across the country.

Trump urged the House to follow the Senate's lead and pass the bill.

The president also said he will ask Harvard University to repay money it received as part of a coronavirus relief package.

The comments came amid media reports that some of the money intended for small business loans went to larger entities.

Trump said Harvard "shouldn't be taking" the money. He says the university, which received more than $8 million, has a large endowment to rely on.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin says that while some big businesses have obtained access to government loans, the intent of the program was not for big public companies to get loans through the Paycheck Protection Program.