#Trump: ‘Teachers in a certain age group’ should stay home in fall due to COVID-19

President Trump said Wednesday that elderly teachers who are vulnerable to the the coronavirus should not return to schools that reopen in the fall.

“If a teacher’s in a certain age group, I think they shouldn’t be going in and probably they’ll have to wait until the thing goes by,” Trump said during a “Fox & Friends” interview.

Trump has forcefully pushed for state and local governments to reopen schools during the pandemic, arguing needy students will be deprived of an education and social services, and that kids are less likely to catch the virus.

Trump added that he remains optimistic about reining in COVID-19 before too long.

“This thing’s going away. It will go away like things go away,” the president said.

The virus has infected nearly 5 million Americans, killed 156,000 and left tens of millions, at least temporarily, unemployed.

But the the toll would have been worse if he hadn’t shut down international travel earlier this year, Trump said.