U.S. roundup: Trump wants the military to distribute a vaccine, and a whistle-blower testifies in Congress.

President Trump said on Thursday that he planned to mobilize the military to distribute a coronavirus vaccine when one becomes available and that older Americans would be given priority.

“It’s a massive job to give this vaccine,” he told Fox Business Network. “Our military is now being mobilized, so at the end of the year we’re going to be able to give it to a lot of people very, very rapidly.”

Dr. Rick Bright, the whistle-blower removed as the head of a federal research agency, is testifying before a House committee, and is expected to warn lawmakers to increase the country’s coronavirus response.

Credit...Image by Anna Moneymaker/The New York Times

Although scientists are racing to come up with a viable vaccine and several biotech companies are beginning trials of promising options, it is unclear whether an effective vaccine will be found and when widespread vaccinations might take place.

Mr. Trump also predicted that 2021 would be “one of the best economic years we’ve had” after the pandemic’s financial downturn, even as new data continues to show how deep the economic damage is.

Figures released by the Labor Department on Thursday pushed the total number of new U.S. jobless claims over the past two months to over 36 million. Those new numbers showed that nearly three million people in America joined the ballooning number of unemployed last week.

Also Thursday, the whistle-blower who was ousted as the head of a federal research agency is testifying in front of Congress. Dr. Rick Bright was dismissed from his job as head of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Agency last month after objecting to the use of anti-malaria drugs to treat coronavirus patients, as promoted by Mr. Trump.

Dr. Bright’s complaint is being investigated by the Office of Special Counsel, which has recommended that he be reinstated for 45 days while it conducts its inquiry.

In his testimony before the health subcommittee of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Dr. Bright warned that “the window is closing to address this pandemic” and said that this year could bring “the darkest winter in modern history” if the administration does not act.