Mandel Ngan/AFP/Getty Images

President Trump has expressed frustration in recent days about some of the ways his administration is confronting a spreading coronavirus outbreak, according to people familiar with the conversations.

Here are two instances:

Trump was initially upset that some Americans who tested positive for coronavirus were allowed back into the US for quarantine instead of remaining in Asia, though today he acknowledged it was ultimately the right thing to allow them back into the country. And he's sided with officials in Alabama who have protested a federal government plan to quarantine some patients in the state, despite federal officials insisting it wouldn't pose a threat to residents.

After both incidents, Trump told people around him he wants to fire those responsible for the decisions, though it doesn't appear anyone has been terminated. Trump hasn't specified particular individuals, venting instead at the broader situation.

The President's frustration reflects a growing sense among Trump administration officials the coronavirus outbreak will present a greater challenge than previously understood. Trump's instinct is to seal the US off entirely from people who could have the virus, according to people who have spoken to him.

But remember: Trump continues to publicly express confidence in his administration's handling of the crisis and optimism that it will be short-lived.

“I think that whole situation will start working out. A lot of talent, a lot of brain power is being put behind it,” he said during a news conference on Tuesday in New Delhi.

Privately, however, he’s lashed out against decisions made by his team and insisted stricter controls be put in place to prevent those with coronavirus — even Americans — from entering the United States.

About the economy: One of the barometers Trump relies on most, the Dow Industrials, plunged 1,000 points yesterday, undercutting Trump’s public downplaying of the potential for crisis. Administration officials have been studying for weeks how the virus could affect the American economy, officials said, though their projections have shown only a minor impact.

Trump has heard a somewhat different story from some wealthy donors and business leaders. As early as mid-January, US CEOs were conveying worry to Trump during the World Economic Summit in Davos at how the virus might affect their supply chains and businesses. He mostly shrugged off those concerns, saying the disease was contained to China.

Trump's administration requested $1.25 billion in emergency funding to address the coronavirus, as well as the ability to tap an additional $535 million in emergency funds already appropriated. The White House requested the funds after initially declaring they weren’t necessary. Officials have been receiving calls from concerned lawmakers in recent weeks.

One administration official said it's possible there could be further requests once the scale of the outbreak is better understood.