But the plan was dropped at the last minute, and two sources on the circumstances told CNN.
As a result, millions of unemployed Americans received significant benefits on Saturday evening, and the government is preparing to strike on Tuesday if the law is not signed.
The news that the bill signing plans were canceled at the last minute came shortly before a tweet on Sunday evening teasing that “good news about the Govt relief bill”. A source close to the situation told CNN that a similar scene had taken place in a private ballroom in Mar-e-Lago.
The bill was sent to Mar-e-Lago on Thursday afternoon, two days after Trump surprised even his own aides by opposing the package in a video. Trump did not explicitly say whether he would veto the bill, and aides – without clear instructions from the president – made arrangements at his Florida club to sign it.
In anticipation of the signing, the smallest of Mar-e-Lago’s two ballrooms was prepared for a ceremony at 7pm, complete with a desk and chair for Trump to sit on, and his usual pens are ready, the source said.
However, as the time approached, aides were told that the president would not sign the relief bill that evening. One source told CNN that Trump had “changed his mind.”
Many of the country, Congress and many of Trump’s closest aides and advisers are in the dark about what he wants to do. He has not provided any clarification since the release of the video opposing the bill on Tuesday night.
In fact, throughout his video message to Congress to amend, Trump incited against many of the rules that were part of the Govt relief bill, not the omnibus spending bill.
“It’s called the Govt Relief Bill, but it has almost nothing to do with Govt,” the president said at one point.
The omnibus spending bill – which allocates money to all federal agencies for the fiscal year – does not mean that the funds allocated to the omnibus bill are less available to the Govt relief bill, even if it is linked to the stimulus agreement.
However, the president has publicly maintained his opposition to the law – leaving small business support, unemployment benefits and relief checks to millions of Americans.
This story is being developed and updated.
Paul LeBlanc of CNN contributed to this report.
