While it may be difficult to see any possible silver linings about the Wuhan coronavirus’s effects on the United States, Fox News contributor Brit Hume offered one scenario that could be “quite good news” for President Trump heading into the 2020 election.
There’s no question that the economic impact we’re already seeing is “getting pretty serious,” Hume told Fox News’s Martha MacCallum, noting the “economy is sinking…[which] spells trouble for the incumbent,” but he said there is a way the administration's response could end up playing out well for Trump.
“If, on the other hand, we are able to blunt the force of this, and we are able to helicopter, drop money out of helicopters as the old saying goes – to get money to people – in an economic downturn, and people are able to weather this, and it comes to be felt by the country that this administration, after maybe some halting steps at the beginning, did a good job of mobilizing the country and mobilizing the government and seeing us through this, then that could be quite good news for the president.”
Asked about how he believes President Trump has handled the crisis thus far, Hume said he thinks the moves Trump's carried out have been “sensible” and “quite bold,” though his pronouncements have been “meandering,” “vague” and “boastful” at times. On Monday and Tuesday, however, Trump did a better job sticking to the script and conveying the necessary information, Hume said.
President Trump’s Covid 19 actions have been sensible and in some cases bold. His WH virus task force briefings have been extensive, credible and informative. His own statements have been rambling, boastful, vague and imprecise. They do not inspire confidence.
— Brit Hume (@brithume) March 16, 2020