1. A New Strategy

Flickr/The Epoch Times

A recent report about the White House’s new strategy was “ominous,” according to Frum. Trump and his administration were “indeed pivoting from its never-very-enthusiastic efforts to contain the virus to a new happy-talk “take the punch” strategy.

The report detailed the plan from the White House to “shift its coronavirus messaging” towards boosting the economy. The emphasis on health statistics would be lessened significantly.

This @axios report is ominous. It confirms that Trump white house is indeed pivoting from its never-very-enthusiastic efforts to contain the virus to a new happy-talk "take the punch" strategy. https://t.co/ba9s9nNw8S 1/x

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 28, 2020

2. ‘Political Calculus’

Screenshot/ CNBC

Frum had initially talked about what he called the “Trump White House ‘take the punch’ strategy.” The plan, according to Frum, would be for Trump to spend effort “confining the casualties” to people that would be seen as “expendable.”

I first wrote about the Trump White House “take the punch” strategy here https://t.co/V8kQkT6pIT 2/x

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 28, 2020

3. ‘A psychological coward’

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On a segment on MSNBC, Frum stated that “one of the things to understand about Donald Trump is that he is a psychological coward.” In Frum’s opinion, Trump is facing an election that might unseat him from the presidency. This is causing him to act on his own panic.

“They are moving towards a policy of ‘let’s take the punch.’ Let’s move forward, let’s re-open, and let’s see what happens,” he told MSNBC host Ari Melber.

And thanks to @AriMelber who gave me time to describe the implications of “take the punch” on his MSNBC air here 3/x https://t.co/mN1SoRWTou

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 28, 2020

4. ‘Who’s Looking Out for You?’

Screenshot/YouTube

Frum wrote about how Trump’s media made the people trust him through a methodology developed by former Fox News host Bill O’Reilly. “In 2004, Fox News’ then supreme star Bill O’Reilly published a book that urged Americans to identify ‘who really cares about you as a person — and who does not,’” Frum said.

O’Reilly represented himself as a voice for his people. This worked, according to Frum. “That O’Reilly self-presentation was a contrivance, obviously, and largely a fiction. But it contained enough truth — again, not for all people, but for *his* people — to sustain a whole cable news network,” he said.

I laid out some of the communications context of “take the punch” in this (long, sorry) thread last week https://t.co/kKnOLQNyNW

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 28, 2020

5. The message that endangers lives

Flickr / Gage Skidmore

Given that Fox News has survived on the message that their anchors and producers are “looking out for you,” the danger is worse, said Frum. The network’s number one issue has been “protection of President Trump’s ego and political chances,” even though this puts lives at risk.

For viewers to believe that Sean Hannity is looking out for them is ridiculous, said Frum.

Sean Hannity, the Fox & Friends crew: they are obviously NOT “looking out for you.” They are willing to sacrifice the health and lives - not only of the eggheads, of the snobs, of the ungrateful minorities - but of YOU, you the Fox viewers.

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 23, 2020

6. ‘Fox wanted you to die to save the economy’

Canva

Frum argued that while the message probably wouldn’t kill Fox News, the story might at least prod viewers into thinking. “But even if the viewers do not, those viewers’ children will. The dialogue will be repeated for years to come,” he stated.

Will the viewers remember? I think so. But even if the viewers do not, those viewers' children will. The dialogue will be repeated for years to come.

"Ma, where'd you hear this?"

"Fox last night."

"Ma, Fox wanted you to die to save the economy."

QUIET.

- end -

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 23, 2020

7. ‘To save his re-election’

Flickr/Gage Skidmore

Frum warned, “Trump is consciously choosing to risk higher virus casualties” in order to get re-elected in November. Somehow, the president is laboring under the delusion that by sacrificing the lives of the elderly and the immuno-compromised, he will be saving himself.

Frum asserted that this plan is “not very likely to work.”

But key point: Trump is consciously choosing to risk higher virus casualties in Q2 in hope of jolting the economy into revival in Q3 to save his re-election in Q4. It’s a desperate gamble to save himself by sacrificing others. It’s also not very likely to work. 4/x

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 28, 2020

8. ‘The human costs’

Screenshot/YouTube

Frum stated that it was important to remember that Trump could do something as insidious as ending people’s lives in order to win. After all, “the lives and troubles of other people are remote, incomprehensible.”

They were not as important as the angle of cheese on Trump’s hamburger.

Many leaders would be daunted by the human costs of Trump’s desperate re-election plan. But … https://t.co/FV8QxXJZA0

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 28, 2020

9. No plans to isolate

Screenshot/YouTube

Overall, said Frum, four months into the pandemic, even though testing is taking place, there are no results from it. “The point of testing is tracing,” he said. “The point of tracing is isolation.” Unfortunately, no plans or orders were made to do either of those things.

“The plan is to reopen without — take the punch.”

We’re almost four months into the pandemic, and the US is at last beginning to test on a large scale. But the point of testing is tracing. The point of tracing is isolation. There are no national plans to do either of *those* things. The plan is to reopen without - take the punch

— David Frum (@davidfrum) April 27, 2020