As the COVID-19 pandemic began, Trump went from “It’s going to be just fine” to “I’ve felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic” in 56 days. As with that first timeline, COVID-19 case numbers for this post are taken from https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/, and there may be a lag between Trump’s statements and the day’s reported numbers.

Mar. 18 – 10,091 total US cases, 171 deaths.

It’s not racist at all. No. Not at all. It comes from China. That’s why. It comes from China. I want to be accurate.

Mar. 19 – 14,896 cases, 240 deaths. Trump promotes unproven drug treatments, falsely claiming that it has been approved by the FDA for COVID-19.

And we’re going to be able to make that drug available almost immediately, and that’s where the FDA has been so great. They – they’ve gone through the approval process. It’s been approved.

Mar. 20 – 20,873 cases, 310 deaths. New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo orders all non-essential businesses to keep their workers home. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker issues a “stay-at-home” order. Indiana, Ohio, Louisiana, and others follow.

Mar. 21 – 25,969 cases, 376 deaths.

Mar. 22 – 33,745 cases, 512 deaths.

Mar. 23 – 46,433 cases, 693 deaths.

You look at automobile accidents, which are far greater than any numbers we’re talking about. That doesn’t mean we’re going to tell everybody no more driving of cars. So we have to do things to get our country open.

Mar. 24 – 58,021 cases, 962 deaths.

Ultimately the goal is to ease the guidelines…Easter is our timeline, what a great timeline that would be.

Mar. 25 – 71,638 cases, 1,269 deaths. 3.3 million Americans file for unemployment.

Mar. 26 – 89,513 cases, 1,629 deaths. The United States now leads the world in confirmed COVID-19 cases.

Our country has to go back. Our country is based on that. And I think it’s going to happen pretty quickly. A lot of progress is made, but we’ve got to get back to work.

Mar. 27 – 108,537 cases, 2,131 deaths.

You call it a germ, you can call it a flu, you can call it a virus. You know, you can call it many different names. I’m not sure anybody even knows what it is.

Mar. 28 – 127,827 cases, 2,781 deaths.

Mar. 29 – 147,921 cases, 3,283 deaths. Trump brags about TV ratings.

Mar. 30 – 171,640 cases, 3,150 deaths. American deaths from COVID-19 surpass 9/11.

Apr. 1 – 224,651 cases, 6,465 deaths.

Did you know I was number one on Facebook?

Apr. 2 – 255,276 cases, 7,676 deaths. Global cases reaches 1 million. Another 6.6 million Americans file for unemployment.

Apr. 4 – 322,790 cases, 10,537 deaths. More American deaths than those from Operation Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom (Afghanistan) combined.

I may take [hydroxychloroquine]. I’ll have to ask my doctors about that. But I may take it.

Maybe we could allow special, for churches, maybe we could talk about it. Maybe we could allow them, with great separation outside, on Easter Sunday. I don’t know, it’s something we should talk about.

Apr. 6 – 381,262 cases, 13,488 deaths. Trump interjects during a question for Dr. Fauci about hydroxychloroquine.

I answered this 15 times. You don’t have to answer.

Apr. 7 – 415,992 cases, 15,755 deaths. Trump echoes past claims of fraud with mail-in voting.

Mail-in voting is horrible, it’s corrupt…sure I could vote by mail, because I’m allowed to.

Trump falsely claims in a Hannity interview that the US is not experiencing a shortage of beds and ventilators.

The good thing is that the number of beds needed, I think we were right about that. I was right. My group was right.

I just saw on your show and a couple of other people just reported back to me that everyone is in great shape from the standpoint of ventilators, which are very hard, because they’re expensive and they’re big and like — it’s, you know — it’s — and they’re very high-tech.

Apr. 8 – 448,806 cases, 17,966 deaths. Trump threatens to halt WHO funding.

They really called every aspect of it wrong…recently social media said they seem to be very China-centric.

Apr. 9 – 482,724 cases, 20,113 deaths. An additional 6.6 million Americans file for unemployment. The Federal Reserve announces a stimulus of $2,300,000,000,000 ($2.3 trillion).

Apr. 10 – 517,010 cases, 22,394 deaths. Trump administration limits COVID-19 reporting requirements to healthcare industry employers.

This is a very brilliant enemy. You know, it’s a brilliant enemy. They develop drugs like the antibiotics. You see it. Antibiotics used to solve every problem. Now one of the biggest problems the world has is the germ has gotten so brilliant that the antibiotic can’t keep up with it… We’re fighting – not only is it hidden, but it’s very smart, okay? It’s invisible and it’s hidden, but it’s – it’s very smart.

Apr. 11 – 546,923 cases, 24,460 deaths. The United States now leads the world in COVID-19 deaths. Reports surface of Trump asking Dr. Fauci, “Why don’t we let this wash over the country?”

Apr. 12 – 573,092 cases, 26,215 deaths.

Apr. 13 – 600,825 cases, 27,963 deaths. Trump plays video in White House briefing room titled “The media minimized the risk from the start.” He claims total authority over state governors.

Well I have the ultimate authority. President of the United States has the authority to do what the President has the authority to do, which is very powerful.

Trump spars with a reporter over a gap in actions taken February.

You’re so disgraceful. It’s so disgraceful the way you say that…nobody thought we should do it, and when I did it, you know what we did? You know what we did? What do you do when you have no case in the whole United States…zero cases zero deaths on January 17. …we did a lot. Look, look, you know you’re a fake, you know that, your whole network is fake.

Apr. 14 – 629,827 cases, 30,592 deaths. Trump halts US funding to the WHO.

Apr. 16 – 691,619 cases, 35,537 deaths. Another 5.2 million Americans file for unemployment, totaling approximately 22 million. Trump declines to speak out against protests in Michigan and other states against closures and social distancing.

There’s death and there’s problems in staying at home, too. It’s not just isn’t it wonderful to stay at home. They’re having – they’re suffering. This country wasn’t built on that principle, it was built on an exact opposite principle, actually. And I watched in one particular state where they were, they want to get back, the want to get back… I think they listen to me, they seem to be protesters that like me, and respect this opinion, and my opinion is the same as all the governors. They all want to open.

Apr. 17 – 724,900 cases, 38,134 deaths. Trump tweets in response to reports of protests against state closures, even citing the 2nd Amendment, though he has suggested taking guns without due process.

The timeline is continued here.

Worldometer – Coronavirus, United States
Politico – Trump on ‘Chinese virus’ label: ‘It’s not racist at all’
AP News – AP FACT CHECK: Trump falsely claims drug approval for virus
Whitehouse.gov – Remarks by President Trump, Vice President Pence, and Members of the Coronavirus Task Force in Press Briefing
Politifact – Timeline: How Donald Trump responded to the coronavirus pandemic
NPR – 3.3 Million File Unemployment Claims, Shattering Records
Politico – Trump triggers Defense Production Act for the first time
USA Today – Another 6.6M Americans file for unemployment benefits as layoffs show no letup
Department of Defense – CASUALTY STATUS as of 10 a.m. EDT April 13, 2020
The New York Times – President Trump’s Prime-Time Pandemic
The Wall Street Journal – U.S. Coronavirus Death Toll Passes Italy, Becoming World’s Highest
CNN – The 24 most wildly irresponsible lines from Donald Trump’s latest interview with Sean Hannity
Forbes – The Fed Will Pump Another $2.3 Trillion Into The Economy. Here’s Why This Time Is Different
Occupational Safety and Health Administration – Enforcement Guidance for Recording Cases of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
The Washington Post – Trump administration has many task forces — but still no plan for beating covid-19
Politico – Trump halts funding to World Health Organization
Fortune – 22 million have lost their jobs over the past month—real unemployment rate likely nearing 18%
Business Insider – Fox News host defended anti-lockdown protesters carrying Confederate flags and falsely accused Michigan’s governor of calling them Nazis