President Donald Trump finally crashed face-first into reality on Monday at a White House press briefing about the coronavirus. While every other meeting with the press on the topic has been littered with the president’s ad-libs and comments downplaying the seriousness of the pandemic — often surrounded by more sober warnings and assessments from experts — Trump finally seemed to grasp that the outbreak is guaranteed to have a serious impact on the daily lives of Americans.
Emblematic of this shift was a set of guidelines laid out by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (see below). These include the most stringent warnings for people who are sick, in contact with people who have been diagnosed with the coronavirus, or are particularly vulnerable to the infection. But it also directed everyone to avoid social gatherings of more than 10 people, avoid restaurants and bars, avoid any unnecessary trips out, and work from home if possible. It also advises that Americans listen to state and local officials for any further guidance.
This is the strongest sign yet from the administration that everyone should be taking significant “social distancing” steps that experts have been advocating to stem the spread of the pandemic. And it was a sharp change in the president’s stance on the outbreak, which he has consistently sought to downplay even as he touts his administration’s response. Continue reading.