For some supporters, President Trump’s daily appearances with his coronavirus task force are a reassuring ritual during a time of crisis, consumed from the folds of a leather sectional, snacks and beverages within easy reach. …
For the president’s opponents, the news conference has become a daily hate-watch, a blaring infomercial in which Mr. Trump claims credit, demands gratitude, spreads false information and attacks the press. …
They are part of an audience of millions who have watched on broadcast networks, cable news outlets and online since Mr. Trump first made a surprise appearance at a briefing hosted by Vice President Mike Pence on March 14, and decided he liked it. Mr. Trump’s daily appearances since then, rife with inaccuracies and false claims and laden with grievance and boasts, bear little resemblance in style to President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s fireside chats, the radio addresses during which he tried to soothe an anxious nation through a depression and a world war. CONT.
Annie Karni, Nate Schweber & Christina Capecchi, New York Times