Add in the national media’s inherent geographical bias for its home base of New York — where Cuomo and even New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio have occupied oversize roles in national coverage — and it’s left Biden struggling to break through.

“For Biden, the other difficulty is wedging himself into that,” Arzt said. “And you can’t easily wedge yourself into a crisis situation, other than say what you would do as president or say the president isn’t doing enough. But he could look very political.”

Trump’s campaign has accused Biden of just that, as well as undermining the president, who has gained ground in the polls since he started daily White House press briefings. But Biden campaign advisers reject the criticism, saying that Trump’s news conferences do more harm than good to the president, and the country.

Biden lauded Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, who has won plaudits for his steady-as-he-goes leadership and serving as a foil to a sometimes erratic Trump.

“New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s briefings are a lesson in leadership,” Biden said Monday. “Republicans and Democrats all are rising to the moment, putting aside politics to do what has to be done. But they’re looking to the federal government for more help.”

Cuomo was one of seven governors Biden singled out for praise, attempting to put a bipartisan sheen on his remarks by including three Republicans. Yet even there, he had a minor stumble, mistakenly calling Massachusetts Republican Gov. Charlie Baker “Charlie Parker.”

Few who watched Biden’s briefing saw it as equivalent counterprogramming to Monday’s White House briefing, which featured the president, Vice President Mike Pence, Attorney General William Barr and White House coronavirus response coordinator Deborah Birx, among others. Most other times, that briefing has featured Anthony Fauci, the highly respected director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

Accustomed to speaking from behind a lectern, Biden decided to have one placed in the middle of his new home studio — an awkward fit amid the backdrop of bookshelves and personal pictures framed beneath a living room table lamp.

There were hiccups that showed the telltale signs of a 77-year-old candidate adjusting to a campaign that’s gone completely online in a matter of days. At the start of the webcast, Biden wasn’t sure when he was live. A few minutes in, his teleprompter appeared to have broken as he tried, but failed, to gesture beneath the camera shot for an unseen aide to hand him notes.

“The lectern in a living room look was really odd — nobody would do that in real life, so it shouldn't be done on social,” said Kevin Cate, former media strategist for one of Biden’s past opponents, Tom Steyer.

“Vice President Biden can do regular addresses, but they should look more like what the Obama White House did, seated and direct to camera,” Cate said. “Social media craves authenticity and engagement, so they should also lean into interactive and engaging live formats.”

But echoing the Biden campaign, Cate said he believes the political damage done to the president from his own misleading statements and distortions at his news conferences far outweigh any Biden stumble. One Biden adviser added that people are seeing that Trump “puts the bully in bully pulpit.”