President Donald Trump suggested on Thursday at the White House that organizers postpone the Olympics for a year rather than cancel them outright because of the coronavirus.
“This is just my idea: maybe they postpone it for a year,” Donald Trump theorized. “Maybe they do that if that’s possible.”
The president floated the possibility of postponing the games after reporters at the White House asked him about his thoughts about the games during a meeting with Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar on Thursday afternoon in the Oval Office.
The 2020 Summer Olympic Games are scheduled to begin on July 24 in Tokyo, Japan, but it is unclear whether the games will continue as scheduled.
Trump acknowledged that organizers probably would not hold the games without people attending.
“I just can’t see having no people there,” he said.
The president wished Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe “good luck” going forward, praising his newly constructed venues for the unique opportunity.
“They did such a perfect job. The venues are incredible,” Trump said, noting that he had seen pictures of the Olympic site in Tokyo. “They built it very well … and they’re beautiful facilities.”
Estimates show that Japan would lose up to $75 million in revenue if the games are canceled.
Japan’s Olympics Minister on Wednesday called the cancellation or postponement of the games “inconceivable.”
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