After a tumultuous few days in the West Wing, the White House coronavirus task force only met once this weekend, according to three people familiar with the schedule. The group met Saturday but did not Sunday — a rarity since the task force has met almost every day since it was assembled.
Task force meetings usually last about 90 minutes at least as aides go over the latest data before the press briefing. But given there was no briefing this weekend, the meeting Saturday moved relatively quickly, a person who attended said. The task force may soon begin slowly scaling back its number of meetings altogether, a separate person told CNN, as President Trump and Vice President Pence schedule other events.
The President spent the weekend venting about the negative coverage he received after he suggested last week there should be studies into whether disinfectants or light could be used to fight the coronavirus inside the human body. An exasperated President lashed out at aides, the media and Democrats in what multiple sources described to CNN as one of the most frustrated moments of his presidency.
One of the things weighing heaviest on the president, people close to him say, are his sinking poll numbers. But being stuck inside doesn’t help either. People who speak with the President often said he’s internalizing negative coverage more than ever because he doesn’t have his usual outlets, like golf.
Divisions are also emerging among the staff in the West Wing. The new West Wing communications team has decided to retake control of the coronavirus messaging that Vice President Mike Pence’s staff had been handling since he was tapped to lead the task force in late February.
