President Donald Trump is binging even more TV during the coronavirus, The New York Times reported.

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

President Trump is binging even more TV than usual, watching up to seven hours of cable news in the morning before arriving in the Oval Office as late as noon, when he finally gets his daily briefing, The New York Times reported.

Trump spends his days in front of the TV, reviewing his coronavirus-news-conference performances and watching more TV back in the White House residence area, according to The Times.

He's reportedly more irritable, taking shorter phone calls from outside advisers, and frustrated over the media coverage on his coronavirus response.

In mid-March, Trump's morale bottomed out, with Mike Lindell — known as the My Pillow guy — offering to cheer him up by showing the president a text message from a Democratic friend who thinks Trump is doing a good job, Lindell told The Times.

Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.

President Donald Trump is watching hours upon hours of TV while he's cooped up and cranky in the White House as the coronavirus drags on, The New York Times reported.

Trump views up to seven hours of cable news in the morning before arriving to the Oval Office as late as noon, when he finally gets his intelligence briefing, according to The Times.

Former Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama typically got their briefings early in the morning. Bush would arrive in the Oval about 6:45 a.m., while Obama became the first president to get an electronic version of the briefing on an iPad so he could read it shortly after waking up before arriving in the Oval about 9 or 10 a.m.

After Trump gets lunch with other officials, phones some governors and world leaders, and wraps up his marathon coronavirus briefings, he goes back to watching TV with close aides to review his performance while enjoying "comfort food" such as french fries and Diet Coke, The Times said.

Then he watches even more TV back in the White House residence area, only occasionally making time for dinner with first lady Melania Trump and his 14-year-old son, Barron, the report said.

Story continues

Trump is clinging more to his already sizable appetite for watching TV.

AP Photo/Pablo Martinez Monsivais

As much as he may review the footage of the briefings afterward, The Times said Trump rarely attended the meetings of the White House coronavirus task force that take place beforehand. Even when it comes to the prepared remarks he gives, Trump is seeing them for the first time, making last-minute "tweaks with a Sharpie just before he reads them live," according to The Times.

Unable to hold rallies or visit his other properties to go golfing, Trump has grown increasingly irritable, taking shorter phone calls from outside advisers and echoing frustrations over his media coverage.

"Many friends said they were less likely to call Mr. Trump's cellphone, assuming he does not want to hear their advice," The Times said. "Those who do reach him said phone calls have grown more clipped: Conversations that used to last 20 minutes now wrap up in three."

However, Trump will always take calls from Brad Parscale, his campaign manager who updates him on his internal polling numbers, which have worsened in swing states, according to The Times.

Aides told The Times that Trump was increasingly worried about his reelection prospects and has grown angry with Fox News for not portraying him as positively as before.

In mid-March, Trump's morale bottomed out, with Mike Lindell — known as the My Pillow guy — offering to cheer him up by showing the president a text message from a Democratic friend who thinks Trump is doing a good job, Lindell told the Times.

"I just wanted to give him a little confidence," the My Pillow founder said.

Read the original article on Business Insider