- President Donald Trump is angry about the stock market downturn, blaming it on warnings from US officials about the spread of the coronavirus, according to The Washington Post.
- Warnings about the likely impact of the virus from US health officials have contrasted with Trump's upbeat messages.
- Trump has reportedly long believed in the power of negative or positive messaging to influence markets, which will in turn affect his re-election campaign.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
President Donald Trump is said to be furious about how officials in his administration have handled the coronavirus outbreak, and blames downbeat warnings from health officials for a brutal downturn in financial markets, according to reports.
Two people familiar with the president's thinking told The Washington Post that Trump is angry about the stock slide, and has told aides not to deliver further negative predictions about the spread of the illness.
While on an official trip to India, he's reportedly vented about how Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar handled the situation.
According to CNN, he's also voiced his anger at officials for allowing Americans who tested positive for the illness back into the country to be quarantined instead of remaining in Asia - and considered firing those responsible.
The White House did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment on these reports.
However, Trump officials have gone on the record blaming "the Left and some in the media" for what they call attempts to use the virus to undermine Trump.
In response to the Post's reporting, White House spokesman Judd Deere said: "Unfortunately what we are seeing today is a political effort by the Left and some in the media to distract and disturb the American people with fearful rhetoric and palace intrigue."
Stocks markets began to slide Tuesday, and continued their downward turn after a warning from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that the virus will likely continue to spread in the US.
One CDC official said the public should "prepare for the expectation that this is going to be bad."
The statement contrasts with Trump's upbeat message about the potential impact of the illness. The president claimed in remarks to reporters Tuesday that the coronavirus is likely "going to go away", and that scientists are close to developing a vaccine for the illness. Both claims have been rebutted by experts.
On Monday, the president had sought to ram home the positive forecasts, claiming in a tweet that the illness is "very much under control in the USA."
"Stock Market starting to look very good to me!" he added as the downturn began to take effect.
In another tweet early Wednesday after returning to the US from a state visit to India, Trump sought to project confidence in US authorities, hours after the Post's report of his unhappiness with the CDC and Azar.
It's not the first time that Trump has clashed with government officials for releasing information that contradicts his views.
He famously produced a map doctored with a Sharpie pen to alter official hurricane forecast data that had contradicted his own predictions in September 2019.
Trump is known to keep a keen eye on markets, reading them as a barometer for the strength of his presidency.
The president is reportedly a longstanding believer in the power of positive or negative messaging to influence markets.
As economic forecasters warned in August 2018 that a downturn may be inbound, the president remained bullish about the strength of the economy, blaming Democrats and the media for conspiring to skew the data and damage his presidency.
- Read more about the coronavirus:
- Italy's rampant coronavirus outbreak is forcing its biggest football matches, including a potential title decider, to be played in empty stadiums
- Here's everything we know about the outbreak.
- Photos show what Italy is like under lockdown as the country becomes Europe's epicenter of the coronavirus with 283 cases reported in 4 days
Just landed. India was great, trip very successful. Heading to the White House. Meetings and calls scheduled today. @CDCgov, @SecAzar and all doing a great job with respect to Coronavirus! Briefing this afternoon.
- Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) February 26, 2020