President Donald Trump has been roundly criticized for his administration's dismissal of the severity of the COVID-19, or novel coronavirus, outbreak in the United States.
But a disturbing new report from Vanity Fair indicates that Trump is indeed highly concerned about the threat the virus poses...to him.
The report, taken from multiple sources close to the White House, details Trump's view of the virus as less of a public health threat and more of an effort by the media to weaken his presidency and the prospects of his reelection.
The report's author, Gabriel Sherman, was told of a conspiracy theory worrying Trump:
"Last week Trump told aides he's afraid journalists will try to purposefully contract coronavirus to give it to him on Air Force One, a person close to the administration told me. The source also said Trump has asked the Secret Service to set up a screening program and bar anyone who has a cough from the White House grounds."
Trump told aides that journalists are hoping to contract coronavirus themselves in hopes of giving it to him, thereby discrediting his repeated claims that the virus is being sensationalized.
The source also told Sherman: "He's definitely melting down over this."
It's easy to see why people were concerned.
Bizarrely enough, Trump is arguably more likely to contract coronavirus from his own allies, rather than members of the media.
An attendee at the popular Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where Trump himself spoke late last month, tested positive for coronavirus. A number of Republican lawmakers who also frequently interact with Trump, have self-quarantined after interactions with the person who contracted the virus.
At least two of the lawmakers have had direct contact with Trump in the past five days.
Many of Trump's closest allies have followed his lead and dismissed the seriousness of the virus as the product of a hysterical media.
This is not normal.
