White House aides want Trump to only talk about the economy in public, as disastrous coronavirus briefings are hurting his chances of reelection

• President Donald Trump is going to shift away from briefing the media directly on the coronavirus pandemic, and will switch to talking about the economy, the Associated press reported.
• His aides are said to fear that a string of disastrous TV appearances by Trump are harming him politically in swing states.
• On Thursday Trump attracted near-universal condemnation after floating the idea that consuming disinfectant could be effective as a coronavirus cure.
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President Donald Trump is going to focus on talking up the US economy — rather than directly addressing the coronavirus pandemic — according to media reports citing White House aides worried at his recent performances.

According to the Associated Press, Trump's circle is worried that he has harmed his chances of re-election with a run of free-wheeling briefings on the pandemic which were widely condemned.

Instead, the Associated Press said, Trump is expected to focus on the economy, which is more comfortable ground.

The president will be talking in "tighter more controlled' settings , according to the report, compared to the coronavirus task force briefings, which the president has been accused of seeking to turn into campaign rallies.

At the briefings he frequently insults reporters, clashes with scientific advisers and makes wild and unproven claims about potential cures.

At last Thursday's briefing Trump drew ridicule and condemnation for suggesting that consuming disinfectant could cure the virus.

It was a "breaking point" for many top Republicans, The New York Times reported on Saturday.

They are increasingly concerned about internal polls showing Trump slipping behind in key swing states, including Pennsylvania, Michigan and Florida, and believe his performances at the briefings are a key factor.

—Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 27, 2020

The AP reported that internal polling showed that Trump's best chance of victory depends on the public's view of how quickly the economy rebounds after the worst of the pandemic has passed.

Trump at Friday's briefing gave a much shorter, focused performance, and took no questions from the press. On Saturday and on Sunday no briefing was held, and Trump tweeted that they were "not worth the time or effort."

Over the weekend he vented at the press on Twitter, in one attack calling on the press to return their "Noble prizes," in an apparent mis-spelling of "Nobel." He seemed to believe that the Sweden-based Nobel Committee has an award for US journalism, which it does not.

Trump has claimed that his comments on disinfectant and his remarks on the "Noble prize" were intended sarcastically.

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