“As a viral pandemic has spread across continents with a severity and deadliness that world leaders say demands a global response, President Trump has increasingly turned inward,” the Washington Post reports.

“He has imposed travel restrictions on one-fourth of the world’s population while criticizing other nation’s response efforts, refused to meet with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, attacked his handpicked Fed chairman and defied the warnings of his own public health experts.”

“His handling of the crisis, including a surprise decision to restrict travel from Europe, is drawing criticism both at home and abroad as leaders warn that Trump’s go-it-alone approach is doing harm to an already fraught situation.”

“In the most scripted of presidential settings, a prime-time televised address to the nation, President Trump decided to ad-lib — and his errors triggered a market meltdown, panicked travelers overseas and crystallized for his critics just how dangerously he has fumbled his management of the coronavirus,” the Washington Post reports.

“Even Trump — a man practically allergic to admitting mistakes — knew he’d screwed up by declaring Wednesday night that his ban on travel from Europe would include cargo and trade, and acknowledged as much to aides in the Oval Office as soon as he’d finished speaking.”

“Futures for the Dow Jones industrial average fell in real time with virtually each word Trump uttered.”

“Trump — who believed that by giving the speech he would appear in command and that his remarks would reassure financial markets and the country — was in ‘an unusually foul mood’ and sounded at times ‘apoplectic’ on Thursday as he watched stocks tumble and digested widespread criticism of his speech.”

A source close to Donald Trump said the President is telling people close to him that he is indeed concerned about coming into contact with people who have contracted the coronavirus, including the Brazilian official who tested positive after coming face-to-face with Trump at Mar-a-Lago, CNN reports.

Vox notes that Trump is breaking his own agency’s coronavirus guidelines by not self-quarantining.

“Incoming White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was in the West Wing on Thursday, emerging from self-quarantine after encountering a person infected with coronavirus at a political event last month,” Bloomberg reports.

This is curious: “The president held an emergency Oval Office meeting Wednesday to discuss options for dealing with the virus. More than a dozen senior aides attended, but Meadows wasn’t there and wasn’t asked to join by phone.”

“President Trump will not be tested for the coronavirus after coming into contact with a Brazilian official who tested positive for the virus just days after participating in meetings with him in Florida,” the New York Times reports.

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.”