'Trump needs an improving economy - or else he's going to lose'

Just three months ago, before the coronavirus pandemic hit the United States, President Donald Trump was telling Americans in his State of Union address that "our economy is the best it has ever been."

Last Friday, the monthly employment report released by the Department of Labor showed that the U.S. economy has lost an unprecedented 20.5 million jobs in April, and that the unemployment rate has soared to 14.7 percent, after months at a half-century low, NBC writes.

With an election only months away, the Trump administration is anxious to turn the numbers around - quickly. "Trump is going to need an improving economy in November, or else he's going to lose," NBC quotes Stephen Moore, who has advised the president from outside the White House on economic issues. According to insiders, the Trump campaign now plans to focus on a "comeback" story rather than one of prosperity.

The death toll from Covid-19 currently stands at over 76,700 people, with more than 1.2 million confirmed cases of coronavirus, according to NBC News' count.