Trump 'glum and shell-shocked' as coronavirus pandemic cripples his re-election efforts: report

According to a report from the Washington Post, Donald Trump has become depressed by his plummeting poll numbers leading up to the November election as the coronavirus pandemic overwhelms any message he hopes to push for his re-election.

Noting that the president's administration is struggling to expand testing for COVID-19, the report also states that White House officials are "are prioritizing the psychology of the pandemic as much as, if not more than, plans to combat the virus, some aides and outside advisers said — striving to instill confidence that people can comfortably return to daily life despite the rising death toll."

With unemployment hitting record highs and the economy at a standstill, the administration is now looking at an uphill battle if the president hopes to remain in the White House -- and the impact of the pandemic on his re-election hopes is now finally sinking in for Trump.

"Some of Trump’s advisers described the president as glum and shell-shocked by his declining popularity. In private conversations, he has struggled to process how his fortunes suddenly changed from believing he was on a glide path to reelection to realizing that he is losing to the likely Democratic nominee, former vice president Joe Biden, in virtually every poll, including his own campaign’s internal surveys, advisers said," the report states. "He also has been fretting about the possibility that a bad outbreak of the virus this fall could damage his standing in the November election, said the advisers, who along with other aides and allies requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations."

With that in mind, the president is hoping to rev up his MAGA rallies as soon as possible in an effort to rally his base.

"The president is also eager to resume political travel in June, including holding his signature rallies by the end of the summer in areas where there are few cases, advisers said. Trump’s political team has begun discussions about organizing a high-dollar, in-person fundraiser next month, as well as preliminary planning about staging rallies and what sort of screenings might be necessary, according to Republican National Committee officials and outsider advisers," the report adds. One option being considered is holding rallies outdoors, rather than in enclosed arenas, a senior administration official said."

A major concern of White House advisers are projections that the country could still see up to 2,000 or more COVID-19 deaths a day in the U.S. and whether that will overwhelm the president's pitch for four more years.

“The question is, will people become anesthetized to it? Are they willing to accept that?” admitted an adviser to the White House coronavirus task force.

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