The media's coverage of President Trump's coronavirus response has been universally negative. But House Speaker Pelosi using the crisis to extract Republican concessions while holding coronavirus aid hostage?

That's awesome. Politico can hardly restrain its gloating.

Speaker NANCY PELOSI, once again, has extraordinary leverage over President DONALD TRUMP and the White House. One Republican put it to us this way: PELOSI has TRUMP over a barrel. HERE’S WHY: TRUMP and his White House are the public faces of the fallout over the deadly virus rippling across the nation, and he needs PELOSI -- his nemesis -- to cut a deal, and pass a bill. The U.S. just surpassed 1,000 confirmed cases as of Tuesday night. OF COURSE, PELOSI has a laundry list of priorities of her own. But rarely is the leverage as skewed as it is here. SO, IF A LARGE BIPARTISAN DEAL comes together, it will likely be in days or weeks -- not now.

It's an urgent crisis... but we have to wait a few weeks until Democrats get maximum leverage from it. Please.

If Republicans were more focused, they would hammer Pelosi for refusing to immediately sign off on measures and funding now. But instead this circus will drag on.

THE NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH PROGRAM IS another huge concern for PELOSI and House Democrats. Tens of millions of children get subsidized or no-cost meals through the program. But what happens if schools are closed? Democrats were wrestling with the issue Tuesday night.

The coronavirus crisis has to take a back seat to propping up the welfare state.

Pelosi wants to use this as an opportunity to reverse the negative perceptions of House Dems after the failed impeachment bid by rebranding and clawing out more welfare goodies. Republicans would be fools to let that happen. Which is to say, it'll happen. Especially if the GOP doesn't fundamentally shift messaging and develop a political strategy, instead of viewing this as an economic problem.