Unveiling the new team that will head up the administration’s “Operation Warp Speed” effort to quickly develop a coronavirus vaccine, President Donald Trump declared on Friday that regardless whether there is a vaccine or not, the country is ready to reopen.

Boasting that it was the “most aggressive vaccine project in history,” the president went on exclaim: “I just want to make something clear. It’s very important. Vaccine or no vaccine, we are back, and we are starting the process.” Earlier this week, the president grumbled about top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci urging caution over reopening schools in the near future and pointing out that a vaccine may not be ready by the end of the year.

Asked by reporters what he meant by “we’re back” regardless of a vaccine, Trump said that if a vaccine isn’t ready, the virus—which has killed at least 86,000 Americans—“will go away eventually,” adding that they will be able to “put out the fire quickly” if there are flare-ups.