Trump news – live: US hits record high 6.6m unemployment claims and coronavirus death toll tops 5,000 as president mocks governors’ ‘insatiable appetite’ for ventilators

US unemployment figures have again shattered records, with 6.6 million Americans filing for benefits as the coronavirus pandemic brings society to a grinding halt and threatens economic collapse.

Donald Trump attempted to pivot away from the deadly outbreak in his latest press briefing on Wednesday – a day on which the country’s death toll hit 5,000 from 216,000 cases - threatening Iran, questioning China’s figures and attacking Fox News reporter John Roberts for asking him about a “false story”.

The latest horror stories from the US include the tragic death of a six-week-old infant in Connecticut, New York’s death toll doubling in 72 hours and the state of Michigan surpassing California’s case numbers, reporting 2,000 fresh instances in just one day.

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