Paul Krugman: Trump’s Coronavirus Briefings Will Be “Displays of Willful Ignorance and Self-Pity”

Paul Krugman doesn’t see how daily briefings on Covid-19 could possibly help Donald Trump win the 2020 election. The event is returning because the President thinks it will help him in the polls.

The Nobel Prize-winning economist took to Twitter on Tuesday to cast serious doubt on the usefulness of the briefings, both for Trump’s reelection chances and battling the virus.

“Somehow, I don’t think daily displays of willful ignorance and self-pity are going to jump-start Trump’s campaign,” Krugman wrote.

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Krugman offered evidence of just how badly the U.S. is doing in terms of Coronavirus deaths and warned that the economy “is looking disappointing or worse.”

“Trump only has three modes: boasting about the great job he’s doing, whining about media bias, and fear-mongering about dark-skinned hordes,” Krugman said.

“How realistic is it to believe that any of these will gain traction in the next 100 days?”

The daily press briefings were widely criticized at the beginning of the Coronavirus outbreak. The President frequently lied about the situation and downplayed the seriousness of the disease.

Nonetheless, the daily briefings will return on Tuesday.

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Darragh Roche

Darragh Roche is a journalist covering U.S. politics and media