Coronavirus briefings are the new campaign rallies for Trump
Associated PressWASHINGTON — President Donald Trump has a new daily ritual now that the pandemic has put the kibosh on the signature campaign rallies that helped him get elected four years ago: the coronavirus briefing. Standing on the once-abandoned White House briefing room stage flanked by public health experts, Trump holds court with reporters and directly addresses the American people, providing updates on his administration’s efforts to combat the pandemic and trying to demonstrate that he’s in charge. “I don’t want to stand here for two hours and do this,” Trump told reporters during Monday’s marathon briefing, which stretched to nearly two hours. “Americans want to see their president out front and leading, in command of the effort to keep the country safe,” said Trump campaign spokesman Tim Murtaugh. “That’s exactly what President Trump is doing.” Yet the press briefings have also raised questions about whether news outlets should be airing them live, without fact-checking, given Trump’s penchant for exaggeration and misstatements.