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 – 9,296 total US cases, 150 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 – 13,865 cases, 206 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.

America’s Private Sector is stepping up to help us be STRONG! Many of the Nation’s distillers, large and small, are producing and donating hand sanitizer to help fight #COVID19. THANK YOU! https://t.co/bcjKA9Janw — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 19, 2020

Mar. 20 – 19,497 cases, 255 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 – 24,345 cases, 301 deaths.

HYDROXYCHLOROQUINE & AZITHROMYCIN, taken together, have a real chance to be one of the biggest game changers in the history of medicine. The FDA has moved mountains – Thank You! Hopefully they will BOTH (H works better with A, International Journal of Antimicrobial Agents)….. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 21, 2020

Mar. 22 – 33,745 cases, 414 deaths.

WE CANNOT LET THE CURE BE WORSE THAN THE PROBLEM ITSELF. AT THE END OF THE 15 DAY PERIOD, WE WILL MAKE A DECISION AS TO WHICH WAY WE WANT TO GO! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 23, 2020

Mar. 23 – 44,056 cases, 558 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.

Car accidents are not exponentially contagious. Trump: "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." pic.twitter.com/ArDcxM3MNd — Minh Ngo (@minhtngo) March 23, 2020

Mar. 24 – 55,222 cases, 781 deaths.

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

Mar. 25 – 68,673 cases, 1,028 deaths. 3.3 million Americans file for unemployment.

Mar. 26 – 86,061 cases, 1,296 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.

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 – 124,256 cases, 2,222 deaths.

On the recommendation of the White House CoronaVirus Task Force, and upon consultation with the Governor’s of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, I have asked the @CDCgov to issue a strong Travel Advisory, to be administered by the Governors, in consultation with the…. — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020

Mar. 29 – 144,321 cases, 2,592 deaths. Trump brags about TV ratings.

Because the “Ratings” of my News Conferences etc. are so high, “Bachelor finale, Monday Night Football type numbers” according to the @nytimes, the Lamestream Media is going CRAZY. “Trump is reaching too many people, we must stop him.” said one lunatic. See you at 5:00 P.M.! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020

“President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise… — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020

Mar. 30 – 165,053 cases, 3,150 deaths. American deaths from COVID-19 surpass 9/11.

Apr. 1 – 216,622 cases, 5,114 deaths.

Did you know I was number one on Facebook?

Apr. 2 – 246,729 cases, 6,088 deaths. Global cases reaches 1 million. Another 6.6 million Americans file for unemployment.

Apr. 4 – 313,379 cases, 8,469 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.

Trump has no idea how coronavirus is transmitted from person to person and therefore doesn't get why packed churches amid a pandemic is a bad idea. This clip of him talking about how he considered an Easter exemption from social distancing shows it. pic.twitter.com/G4LXzNIGKf — Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) April 4, 2020

Apr. 6 – 370,019 cases, 10,895 deaths. Trump interjects during a question for Dr. Fauci about hydroxychloroquine.

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

Apr. 7 – 403,521 cases, 12,868 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 – 435,518 cases, 14,811 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 – 469,124 cases, 16,712 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 – 502,876 cases, 18,747 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 – 532,879 cases, 20,577 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?”

So now the Fake News @nytimes is tracing the CoronaVirus origins back to Europe, NOT China. This is a first! I wonder what the Failing New York Times got for this one? Are there any NAMED sources? They were recently thrown out of China like dogs, and obviously want back in. Sad! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 11, 2020

Apr. 12 – 560,300 cases, 22,105 deaths.

Great businessman & philanthropist Bernie Marcus, Co-Founder of Home Depot, said that Congress was too distracted by the (phony) Impeachment Witch Hunt when they should have been investigating CoronaVirus when it first appeared in China. Media played a big roll also!@dcexaminer — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 12, 2020

Apr. 13 – 586,941 cases, 23,640 deaths. Trump plays video in White House briefing room, “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 – 617,661 cases, 29,825 deaths. Trump halts US funding to the WHO.

Apr. 16 – 677,570 cases, 34,619 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.

Trump encourages his supporters to defy stay at home orders from governors. pic.twitter.com/WZ1Hs3cvBe — Sarah Reese Jones (@PoliticusSarah) April 16, 2020

Apr. 17 – 709,735 cases, 37,154 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.

LIBERATE MINNESOTA! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

LIBERATE MICHIGAN! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

LIBERATE VIRGINIA, and save your great 2nd Amendment. It is under siege! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 17, 2020

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