The deep-seated fear driving Trump’s invented and exaggerated popularity rankings

Washington Post logoIt’s just so obvious.

In a pair of tweets Tuesday morning, offered alongside complaints about a TV show being mean to him and the “fake news” more generally, President Trump tried to assure the world that he is both popular and an irresistible lure for the American public.

First, Trump boasted about the ratings for his daily White House briefings … briefings ostensibly focused on how his administration was combating a viral pandemic that has killed more than 42,000 Americans. Continue reading.

‘Going to get millions of people killed’: In all-caps tweet, Trump again undermines expert warnings on coronavirus

AlterNet logoJust 10 minutes before midnight on Sunday, President Donald Trump fired off a cryptic all-caps tweet that was interpreted as an alarming signal that—despite warnings from health experts—he could soon lift the federal social distancing guidelines issued by the White House last week to help slow the spread of coronavirus.

“WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF,” Trump tweeted, suggesting the economic impacts of preventative measures could be more harmful than the further spread of coronavirus. “AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO!”

Trump proceeded to retweet a number of approving responses from his supporters, including one Twitter user who said the U.S. should “isolate the high risk groups and [let] the rest of us get back to work before it’s all over for everyone.” Continue reading.