President Donald Trump will address the nation regarding the federal response to the coronavirus at 8p.m. Wednesday, the White House has announced.
The White House made the announcement as Trump was meeting with banking leaders to coordinate a financial response to the virus and mitigate its affect on the U.S. and global economies. Trump and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention have faced criticism in recent days over the federal handling of the virus, with many saying the government has bungled testing. (RELATED: More Voters Disapprove Of Trump’s Response To Coronavirus)
WASHINGTON (AP) — Trump says he plans to deliver prime-time address to nation Wednesday on federal response to coronavirus pandemic.
— Jonathan Lemire (@JonLemire) March 11, 2020
President Donald Trump has taken heat from all sides for his messaging around the coronavirus, with even conservative allies calling on him to stop tweeting and let the task force he created do its work.
The stock market took its worst tumble since 2008 due to the coronavirus Monday moring, and Trump took the opportunity to downplay the virus’ seriousness by comparing it to the seasonal flu. From the outset, Trump has insisted that “the risk to the American public remains low.” But will Trump’s all-is-well approach work for him as the disease continues to spread and the economy keeps taking hits? Many of his conservative allies think not.
“He’s panicked. That’s why he’s acting against his own interests, and the country’s,” said one of Trump’s most trusted-out of office confidants, who asked to remain anonymous. (RELATED: Trump Approval Ratings Crash Amid Coronavirus Panic)
Republican Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan has also critiqued the president on his coronavirus messaging, saying the things he hears from Trump “sometimes conflict with the information we’re getting from the rest of the administration.”
“He at times just says whatever comes to mind or tweets, then someone on TV is saying the opposite,” Hogan told the Washington Post. “It’s critically important that the message is straightforward and fact-based for the public.”