GOP privately seethes over Trump's COVID messaging: 'If it was harmless he wouldn't have been at Walter Reed'

Some frustrated Republicans are getting fed up with President Donald Trump's new attempts to play down the novel coronavirus pandemic.

In interviews with The Hill, anonymous GOP lawmakers took issue with Trump telling his followers that they had nothing to fear from the virus, which so far has killed more than 211,000 Americans in just eight months.

"If COVID was so harmless, he wouldn't have been at Walter Reed Hospital," said one GOP lawmaker, who added that the president missed an opportunity to show Americans that he was taking the pandemic more seriously and working to ensure everyone is getting the quality care they need.

Another GOP lawmaker expressed frustration with the president's abrupt decision to unilaterally call off economic stimulus negotiations during a time when millions of Americans are still out of work and are struggling to stay afloat financially.

"I believe that President Trump’s decisions would be improved, as would his political standing, if he actively sought and listened to members that represent communities in this country," the lawmaker said.

Several other GOP lawmakers similarly told The Hill that Trump's tweet breaking off talks was a "disaster" for them because it took away their plan to blame the deal falling through on House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.