Since the coronavirus hit American shores, we've seen four distinct versions of Donald Trump.

Through January and February, the President, fresh out of the box, was in full denial mode.

That was Version 1.0 during which he said coronavirus was similar to the flu and would miraculously disappear by April.

Version 2.0 saw a commander in chief who was solemn, realistic, concerned primarily with the health of the 327 million people over whom he presides.

But Version 3.0, released last week, seems to have contained a glitch.

This time he was calling for "packed churches by Easter" and an economy "opened up and raring to go".

Never mind the predictions that allowing life to return to normal too soon could see more than 2 million Americans die.

Donald Trump saluted the US naval ship USNS Comfort before it sailed for New York where it will be a floating hospital for COVID-19 cases. ( Reuters: Kevin Lamarque )

Version 4.0, this week, is quite similar to Version 2.0. Again, the President is being applauded for his "tone".

For Donald Trump, it seems the penny has dropped for the second time in a fortnight.

Why is Trump zig-zagging on coronavirus?

In 2012, Windows 8 launched without a 'Start' button, only to have the crowd-pleasing feature make a comeback the following year

Just like Windows 8, Donald Trump has reverted to a more widely regarded version.

Stay up-to-date on the coronavirus outbreak Download the ABC News app and subscribe to our range of news alerts for the latest on how the pandemic is impacting the world

In the days after the Imperial College of London told the White House the US death toll could be 2.2 million people, Trump 2.0 urged schools, bars and restaurants to close immediately.

Trump 3.0 wanted them opened again.

Without intervention, the White House says more than 2 million Americans would die from COVID-19. ( Reuters: Tom Brenner )

Trump 4.0 seemed to rediscover the unthinkable death toll that would come with a 'business as usual' approach.

"You're talking about 2.2 million deaths," Trump told the press in the West Wing briefing room.

"So, if we can hold that down … we have between 100 [thousand] and 200,000. We altogether have done a very good job."

This head-spinning style of leadership is fairly typical of Trump.

He gains an advantage in business or politics by keeping his opponents guessing.

Trump's oscillating behaviour follows a pattern

Donald Trump has form when it comes to crises — specifically those of his own making.

Before going further, it's probably a good time to make clear, the coronavirus pandemic is not Donald Trump's fault.

Many have blamed him for making a bad situation worse by downplaying it for so long, but America's failure to prepare for something like this is much more systemic than the actions (or inaction) of one President.

The low supply of lifesaving ventilators, for example, spans the Bush, Obama and Trump eras.

But there are countless other examples of the 45th President creating or exacerbating a crisis, then claiming credit for fixing it.

"It's a great day for the United States," he tweeted in October last year after the US brokered a ceasefire between Turkey and the Kurds.

The reason they were shooting at each other in the first place was that Trump, without warning, had ordered a relatively tiny number of American troops out of the region.

It's arguably the same with the US-China trade war and more recent Phase One trade deal.

Also, the scrapping of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement) and its resurrection as USMCA (United States Mexico Canada Agreement).

And the Government shutdown.

And the EU steel and aluminium tariffs.

And the declaration of an immigration crisis on the Mexico border.

The list goes on.

Florida shows how ambiguity has consequences

Among this week's examples of the real-world effects of such wild equivocation is the state of Florida.

Packed with vulnerable retirees and facing more than 7,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases, the state's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis finally put a stay-at-home order in place on April 2.

Despite a large number of COVID-19 cases in Florida, the state was not locked down until April 2. ( Reuters: Carlos Barria )

The previous day, the Governor was still resisting huge public pressure to make the order, saying he was waiting for the White House to recommend it.

For his show of resistance, the President said he was "a great Governor who knows exactly what he's doing".

Loading

Ultimately, the Governor will bear responsibility if the tardiness of that decision proves to be catastrophic.

But, under Donald Trump, most Republican state and congressional politicians take their cues directly and unquestioningly from the White House, at pain of political death.

Democratic leaders aren't blameless

Even Democratic leaders would have done well to break free of the pack a lot earlier.

The day after President Trump wisely restricted travel from China, de facto presidential nominee Joe Biden accused Trump of "hysteria, xenophobia, and fear-mongering".

Loading

Democratic Mayor of New York City Bill De Blasio played down the severity of the virus well into last month.

On March 8, the Mayor insisted coronavirus couldn't be transmitted through a crowd in a stadium, claiming it "dies in open air".

In late February, he insisted the city had more than enough hospital beds, stating: "we can really keep this thing contained".

New York officials have called the increase in COVID-19 cases there "staggering". ( Reuters: Stefan Jeremiah )

In the past few weeks, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has fared much better, taking on an almost cult-like following.

In the midst of the worst crisis the state has ever seen, his daily press briefings are frank, clear and, at times, inspiring.

The New York Post labelled him the new "Luv Gov".

He's even had to rule out a late run at president.

Loading

But it was March 12 before he banned gatherings of 500 people or more. At that time there were 328 proven cases of coronavirus.

Now, with his own brother testing positive, Governor Cuomo is calling COVID-19 "the great equaliser".

Coronavirus conveys the ultimate truth

Coronavirus may be an equaliser, but it's also a truth seeker.

It's reminded all of us about the things that really matter: family, friends, food and shelter.

Same for undervalued members of society: nurses, doctors, teachers, hospital cleaners, sanitation workers, shelf-stackers and many more.

It's also highlighted the problems that come with overcrowded prisons, underfunded health systems and super-slimmed-down government.

Right now, the President is enjoying a bump in his approval rating, which is tracking at or near an all-time high.

Loading

The question in the longer term is whether coronavirus will throw a few truth bombs at those numbers too.

And whether American voters will view 100,000 to 200,000 deaths as "a very good job".