(CNN) In the beginning, when the plague came, there was a moment.

An opportunity to unite. To rise above politics. To become a truly national leader in a time of crisis.

Maybe President Donald Trump even tried, belatedly declaring a national emergency , speaking to the nation from the Rose Garden. But it turns out that leading and uniting the country was an awful burden for the President to bear, especially when he was criticized for not paying enough attention to the virus as it headed our way. That was simply too much.

And so, predictably, comes the great admission of presidential failure: The return to the base strategy that got Trump elected the last time. We may be in the new normal heading into a new election, but it's the old playbook.

Uniting was not ever going to be comfortable for Trump. After all, he's made no new friends since he got 46% of the vote in 2016. And we know the presidency has not changed him.

Read More