Ms. Trump, the president’s eldest daughter, in particular favored the address, according to three administration officials. But the subject quickly became contentious internally, according to several administration officials. By early evening, only two hours before the camera was to go on, it was still not entirely clear what Mr. Trump was going to say. Even with the text on the screen, the president mischaracterized his own policies in a way that required his administration to correct him afterward. He referred to the pandemic as a “foreign virus” that “will not have a chance against us” as if it were a hostile nation to be defeated on the battlefield.

Source: New York Times March 12, 2020 14:37 UTC