https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-says-his-coronavirus-response-could-help-not-hurt-his-re-election

The administration is under fire for how it’s handled the outbreak. But the president thinks the response has been so good it will benefit him in November.

Asawin Suebsaeng
White House Reporter
Erin Banco
National Security Reporter

Updated Mar. 05, 2020 7:14AM ET / Published Mar. 05, 2020 4:42AM ET

Over the past week, Democrats and public health experts have excoriated the Trump administration for its response to the novel coronavirus. Outside pundits have wondered whether the handling of the ballooning threat could damage the president’s chance for re-election.

Donald Trump himself appears to have a somewhat unique point of view on the matter. During one of the many White House meetings devoted to the coronavirus in the last week, the president joked that his critics would be “so surprised.” The coronavirus outbreak could actually “help, not hurt” Trump in 2020 because of how “terrific” his team’s handling of the public health crisis has been. The president went on to again congratulate and thank officials present for all the work they’ve done, according to two sources with knowledge of the private remarks.

It’s a view that is widely shared—or at least a political attack line largely disseminated—within Trumpworld, as the president’s management of the ongoing crisis has come under intense scrutiny. “While President Trump proactively combats coronavirus, Democrats campaign to curb Americans’ health care access” with their “Bernie Sanders-inspired, socialist health care agenda,” read a mass email sent by the Trump campaign on Monday.

In the past week, President Trump and officials coordinating with the coronavirus task force have quietly strategized how to best strike back against Democratic criticism that the administration has not done enough to respond to the public-health threat, according to The Daily Beast’s two sources, plus a third with direct knowledge of the deliberations.

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