The week Trump and conservatives finally got serious about coronavirus
Donald Trump has dramatically shifted his tone on the coronavirus. In recent days, he's gone from saying the fear of the virus a "hoax" meant to undermine him and inaccurately comparing COVID-19 to the flu to acknowledging it's a "pandemic." Trump claims he hasn't changed his stance, but the transformation has been noticed by both the mainstream and conservative media. Fox News host Tucker Carlson called out Republicans who were downplaying the virus on his show March 9. A few days later, Trump started to shift his approach to the virus. Fox News and other conservative outlets have now started highlighting the administration's response to the coronavirus crisis and broadcasting health officials' guidance to their viewers, listeners, and readers. Fox Friends has even started practicing social distancing on air. Republican lawmakers like Rep. Matt Gaetz are now promoting CDC guidance and the administration's coronavirus response, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is demanding his members fall in line to pass a coronavirus relief package through Congress.
The week Trump and conservatives finally got serious about coronavirus
Donald Trump has dramatically shifted his tone on the coronavirus. In recent days, he's gone from saying the fear of the virus a "hoax" meant to undermine him and inaccurately comparing COVID-19 to the flu to acknowledging it's a "pandemic." Trump claims he hasn't changed his stance, but the transformation has been noticed by both the mainstream and conservative media. Fox News host Tucker Carlson called out Republicans who were downplaying the virus on his show March 9. A few days later, Trump started to shift his approach to the virus. Fox News and other conservative outlets have now started highlighting the administration's response to the coronavirus crisis and broadcasting health officials' guidance to their viewers, listeners, and readers. Fox Friends has even started practicing social distancing on air. Republican lawmakers like Rep. Matt Gaetz are now promoting CDC guidance and the administration's coronavirus response, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is demanding his members fall in line to pass a coronavirus relief package through Congress.