U.S. President Donald Trump called on U.S. health regulators and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to expedite potential therapies aimed at treating the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Speaking at a news conference along with his coronavirus taskforce, Trump pointed out efforts from the private sector to develop experimental antiviral drugs to combat the virus. He is now calling for the FDA to streamline its regulatory approval process. 

"We have to remove every barrier," Trump said. 

FDA Commissioner Dr. Stephen Hahn joined Trump in describing several approaches being tested to combat COVID-19 but did not offer any treatment announcements. 

Meanwhile, the Trump administration remains focused on the financial response to the pandemic, which has erased the Wall Street gains made over the past three years. 

Trump said the government should take an equity stake in companies needing bailouts. 

"There’s a lot of executive power," Trump said, regarding his authority to curb the impact on businesses. " If we don't have to use it, that would be a good thing, not a bad thing." 

The president continued to criticize China. 

"[This] could have been stopped. Could have been stopped," he told reporters. He also slammed Chinese officials who he says "didn't decide to make it public” in time to stop the global spread of the virus.