Trump’s Speech Did Nothing to Calm Anyone

Dan Balz: “In times of national crisis, people look to the president for direction, reassurance and confidence. President Trump’s Oval Office speech on Wednesday night provided precisely the opposite.”

“From the misstatements to the omissions to his labored demeanor, the president sent a message that shook financial markets, disrupted relations with European allies, confused his many viewers and undermined the most precious commodity of any president, his credibility.”

“With the stock markets plunging into bear territory, the health-care system struggling to keep pace with the spreading virus and Americans wondering what’s next, Trump is dealing unsteadily with the greatest crisis of his presidency. The pandemic is a physical and fiscal threat to the well-being of millions of Americans. It also has become a political threat to the president’s hopes for a second term.”