White House response to pandemic still hampered by 'unpredictable' Trump as aides battle over strategy: report

According to a report from Politico, efforts by the White House to come up with a coordinated response to the coronavirus crisis continues to be hampered by White House infighting over how to stop it with officials fighting over who is responsible for the various initiatives.

Add to that, an "unpredictable" Donald Trump who is only now beginning to understand the seriousness of the pandemic, the report notes.

Despite a White House claim that "Trump’s leadership had sparked an 'unprecedented collaboration' of government and private industry to curb the virus’ spread and ramp up the response," the report notes that the White House is still undergoing turmoil over what to do and who should do it.

"Inside the Trump administration, officials are continuing to sort out which teams are responsible for elements of coronavirus response, part of an ever-shifting patchwork of alliances and strategy, while working to manage the president’s unpredictable requests," the report states. "Five officials said that Trump had grown appropriately concerned about the coronavirus outbreak after weeks of ignoring or playing down the threat, but that the administration is now rushing to solve issues that could have been addressed months ago, like obtaining the necessary supplies for the nation’s emergency stockpile."

Politico's Dan Diamond adds, "Officials also are sniping over whether to institute even more aggressive actions to prevent coronavirus transmission. Health officials are calling for stricter measures that would keep more Americans at home, for longer, but policy officials warn that the resulting economic damage could cause other, long-lasting harms."

According to the report, some officials only become aware of new Trump proposals when he blurts it out during his almost daily appearances during the coronavirus task force press briefings.

"Trump’s drive to announce unfinished initiatives created a 'need to make good on half-baked promises,' said one senior official — who, like other Americans, learned about some initiatives only when the president announced them at the White House podium," the report notes. "For instance, no one in the White House had devised a national strategy for obtaining and distributing the necessary supplies in the likely months-long fight against the pandemic that lies ahead, said three people with knowledge of the planning efforts. Those supply-planning efforts are only now underway."

As one administration official put it, "How is there not a national supply strategy yet? Hospitals are going to run out of basic commodities.”

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