'They're siding with China': Trump slips into old habits during coronavirus press conference

News Analysis: On economy, self-promotion and media-bashing, president's recent more statesmanlike tone showed cracks Thursday

Donald Trump, after playing the presidential role this week amid the coronavirus outbreak and national shut down, slipped back into some old habits on Thursday.

The US leader this week has mostly looked and the sounded less like a former New York City businessman seemingly obsessed with the Big Apple's tabloid scene and more like a statesman trying to solve a national crisis.

He was measured, for instance, on Wednesday when he urged young Americans to "heed the advice" of federal and state officials to stop socializing in large groups. Mr Trump had a notable human moment when he explained young people just "don't realise" they could carry Covid-19 and pass to an elderly loved one because, as many do at that usually healthy age, "they're feeling invincible".

At one point during a Thursday news conference at the White House, Mr Trump seemed like perhaps a more seasoned politician, telling a reporter, "I don't want to comment on that" after being asked about anti-virus steps his administration might be considering.

In recent days, as the number of US cases approached and passed 10,000 and the death toll crested 100, Mr Trump has tried to strike an optimistic tone. On Thursday, he did so again, while urging unity on Capitol Hill - something that has been rare since the early years of the George W Bush administration two decades ago.

"We appreciate that the American public has pulled together. They're really staying home, and I think there's tremendous spirit in this country right now," Mr Trump said. "Spirit like a lot of people have not seen. People have not seen anything like it for a long time. And that means Democrat, Republican. They're pulling together."

That latter remark was a big departure from the president's assessment earlier this month that Democrats' criticisms of his administration's response to the pandemic has been too slow and ineffective. He has called the opposition party's assessment "a hoax."

But despite this week's more presidential-sounding Donald Trump, the commander in chief at times on Thursday slipped back into his usual persona.

After for several days declining to directly address the economic slowdown and stock market slide caused by the coronavirus, Mr Trump on Thursday reverted to touting the economy under his watch.

"It's too bad because we never had an economy as good as the economy we had just a few weeks ago," he said, distorting data that shows GDP growth was higher and debt lower under previous chiefs executive.

Still, Mr Trump attempted to rally consumers and investors as US stock markets rebounded slightly after another day of big losses.

"But we will be back, and I actually think we will be back stronger than ever before because we learned a lot during this period of time," he said.

Ever the competitive sort, Mr Trump slipped back on Thursday into giving his top aides credit – before slapping himself on the back.

"FDA Commissioner Stephen Hahn, who is with us, he is fantastic. And he has been working 24 hours a day," the president said, a smirk overtaking his face before adding: "He has ... worked, like, probably as hard or harder than anybody in this ... group. Other than maybe [Vice President] Mike Pence – or me."

Mr Trump also was back to publicly admitting just how much cable news coverage he consumes each day – even amid what he declared a national emergency.

"Somebody was on yesterday on one of the networks," he boasted, "and said that there's never been a president even close that's been able to do what I have done in slashing all of the red tape and everything to get very important things to the market -- medical."

But the press conference's most Trumpian moment came near its end, with the president opting against letting a pitch in his usual strike zone go by. A reporter from the far right One America News Network asked a long question with this premise: Does he agree that major media outlets are siding with the Chinese government, which he and his top White House aides have accused of covering up Covid-19's initial going public there.

What followed was the president saying outlets like the Wall Street Journal, New York Times and The Washington Post are "dishonest"-- he earlier accused NBC News of calling him "racist" – before uttering these words: "They are siding with China."