Pence is micromanaging coronavirus outbreak as a ‘public relations problem’ instead of public health crisis: report

The Trump administration is facing troubles communicating with the American people during the COVID-19 coronavirus outbreak, The Washington Postreported Tuesday evening.

"One week after Trump returned home from India to confront an unfolding health crisis and tasked Pence with managing the government-wide response, the effort has been undermined by mixed messages, contradictions and falsehoods — many of them emanating from the president himself, including this week when he repeatedly spread false information about just how soon a coronavirus vaccine would be available," the newspaper reported.

"The White House is handling the rapidly expanding coronavirus as a public relations problem as much as a public health crisis," The Post reported. "Trump — who has closely monitored news coverage and the gyrating financial markets, which he sees as a barometer of his reelection chances — has privately griped about what he considers to be hysteria from both the media and his own public health officials, according to people familiar with his complaints, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to share candid assessments."

The administration has tasked Vice President Mike Pence with leading the response to coronavirus.

"Two HHS officials said Pence’s office had implemented a top-down structure by dictating to the agency how it should be communicating with the public, emphasizing that officials should be honest and open but refrain from using 'alarmist' language about the outbreak in interviews," the newspaper noted.