The numbers in the coronavirus outbreak in the United States are increasingly not going his way, but that has not stopped him from portraying them largely as a sign of success. Critics say Trump’s representation of the numbers related to the spread of the disease is complicating the government’s response. “The focus on the numbers for numbers’ sake just exposes … they’re not looking around the next corner here,” said Lisa Monaco, a former homeland security adviser to former President Barack Obama. “It’s not so much about numbers as it is about framing those numbers so that people can understand … the effects these numbers are going to have in real life,” Bossert told Reuters. By saying he wants to keep the numbers down, Trump is “signaling what’s off the table,” to federal workers, he said.

Source: National Post March 09, 2020 09:56 UTC