Trump Says Covid-19 Crisis ‘Will Probably Unfortunately Get Worse’

By Staff, Agencies

US President Donald Trump warned the coronavirus pandemic is likely to worsen before improving, during the first outing of his revived daily briefings on Tuesday.

Trump’s late afternoon appearance in the White House briefing room was designed to project for him a more commanding role, after  being largely been absent in discussing the health crisis ravaging the country and seeing his poll numbers plummet as a result.

In a press conference that lasted around 30 minutes, Trump again said he believed the virus would disappear and insisted the American response to the pandemic was "much better" than in other places.

But he also offered more realistic projections that his advisers hope will make him appear like a sober-minded leader.

"It will probably unfortunately get worse before it gets better," Trump said -- echoing a prediction he made at the start of April of a "rough" two weeks ahead.

And he continued offering belated encouragement to wear masks, at one point pulling out his navy blue face covering and claiming he had no problem strapping it on [though he did not during the briefing].

"Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact," he said, adding later: "I'm getting used to the mask."

Trump appeared from the podium by himself, unaccompanied by any of the health experts who comprise the White House coronavirus task force. About an hour before Trump stepped before cameras, Dr. Anthony Fauci said on CNN that he hadn't been invited to participate.