Trump only pivoted on coronavirus after reportedly being warned of spikes among 'our people' in red states

(Image credit: Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images)

published 27 July 2020

People close to President Trump told The Washington Post they think that, throughout most of the coronavirus pandemic, he struggled to wholly address the crisis because of an unwillingness to admit error, a positive feedback loop from advisers and Fox News, and a "penchant for magical thinking" that led him to believe the virus would soon disappear.

But Trump has seemingly come around a bit and is now acknowledging the pandemic isn't going to improve overnight. Per the Post, the pivot apparently came only after Trump realized his voting base was in danger. Over the last few weeks, his advisers have reportedly shown him maps and data that highlight spikes in coronavirus cases among "our people" in Republican states, a senior administration official told the Post.

The advisers have also reportedly shared projections predicting surges in Midwestern battleground states like Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan, all of which are key to Trump winning re-election. Read more at The Washington Post.

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Tim is a staff writer at The Week and has contributed to Bedford and Bowery and The New York Transatlantic. He is a graduate of Occidental College and NYU's journalism school. Tim enjoys writing about baseball, Europe, and extinct megafauna. He lives in New York City.