Officials Try to Explain Coronavirus Numbers to Trump

Washington Post: “Trump’s obsession with numbers — both publicly and privately — has dominated and shaped the administration’s response to the coronavirus, as advisers and public health experts try to placate a leader who largely views the global pandemic through the political lens of how the statistics reflect on his presidency and hopes for reelection.”

“Privately, administration officials are trying to get Trump more comfortable with the idea of an inevitable rise in the number of coronavirus cases — in part by explaining to him that a higher number of cases overall could potentially result in a lower mortality rate. Sharing the growing number of cases might also demonstrate that many of those who test positive are asymptomatic or only have mild symptoms…Trump is increasingly coming to accept that the number of individuals who have tested positive for the virus is going to rise, even though he’s not happy about it, the official added.”