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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsTrump told aides he's afraid journalists will try to purposefully contract #coronavirus to give it t
Last week Trump told aides hes afraid journalists will try to purposefully contract #coronavirus to give it to him on Air Force One.
Link to tweet
?s=20
Coronavirus
Hes Definitely Melting Down Over This: Trump, Germaphobe in Chief, Struggles to Control the Covid-19 Story
Publicly, he sees it as yet another (Fake News) media war; privately, he worries about virus-carrying journalists on Air Force One. But cancel his rallies? Im not going to do it, he says.
Ever since the coronavirus exploded outside of China at the end of January, Donald Trump has treated the public health crisis as a media war that he could win with the right messaging. But with cases now documented in 34 states and markets plunging, Republicans close to Trump fear his rosy assessments are fundamentally detached from reality in ways that will make the epidemic worse. He is trying to control the narrative and he cant, a former West Wing official told me.
The problem is that the crisis fits into his preexisting and deeply held worldviewthat the media is always searching for a story to bring him down. Covid-19 is merely the latest instance, and hes reacting in familiar ways. So much FAKE NEWS! Trump tweeted this morning. He wants Justice to open investigations of the media for market manipulation, a source close to the White House told me. Trump is also frustrated with his West Wing for not getting a handle on the news cycle. Hes very frustrated he doesnt have a good team around him, a former White House official said. On Friday he forced out acting chief of staff Mick Mulvaney and replaced him with former House Freedom Caucus chair Mark Meadows. Trump thought the virus was getting beyond Mick, a person briefed on the internal discussions said. Trump has also complained that economic adviser Larry Kudlow is not doing enough to calm jittery markets. Last week Kudlow refused Trumps request that Kudlow hold an on-camera press briefing, sources said. Larry didnt want to have to take questions about coronavirus, a person close to Kudlow told me. Larrys not a doctor. How can he answer questions about something he doesnt know?
Trump found a willing surrogate in Kellyanne Conway, but Conways dubious claim on Friday that the virus is being contained only made the P.R. situation worse.
Trumps efforts to take control of the story himself have so far failed. A source said Trump was pleased with ratings for the Fox News town hall last Thursday, but he was furious with how he looked on television. Trump said afterwards that the lighting was bad, a source briefed on the conversation said. He said, We need Bill Shine back in here. Bill would never allow this...................................
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Trump told aides he's afraid journalists will try to purposefully contract #coronavirus to give it t (Original Post)
riversedge
Mar 2020
OP
randr
(12,408 posts)1. What a good idea
Any takers?
Jamastiene
(38,187 posts)2. What is so bad is that if
he gets it, and it does manage to kill him, they will just make him a martyr and we'll be stuck with Pence. Get ready to pray the virus away. It won't work. No wonder the stock market is crashing hard. Everyone knows we are screwn.
struggle4progress
(118,032 posts)3. "It's not a threat to anyone but me!"
TygrBright
(20,733 posts)4. ooooooooooooohkay....
distantly,
Bright
Hekate
(90,189 posts)5. He is insane. They know that, right?
DinahMoeHum
(21,737 posts)6. Tee hee hee. Great way to troll that fat germaphobe!
pat_k
(9,313 posts)7. OMG (nt)
Initech
(99,909 posts)8. Whoa, that is some next level paranoid crazy.
Really, his diet will probably do him in before anything else does.
TeamPooka
(24,155 posts)9. He probably already got it from Gaetz.