Trump botched the coronavirus crisis. But will Gavin Newsom’s praise help re-elect him?

Gov. Gavin Newsom loathes President Donald Trump. The two have often sparred on Twitter, where Newsom recently celebrated the impeachment of a president he once called “completely corrupt.”

But the coronavirus pandemic has forced Newsom to swallow his pride and pursue diplomacy. He now treats the president with the utmost cordiality and respect. As I’ve written before, Newsom’s performance deserves an Oscar.

The governor’s desire to sidestep partisan politics during the COVID-19 crisis is admirable. Lives are at stake. But is his effusive praise for Trump playing right into the Republican’s 2020 re-election strategy?

Newsom has nothing but rave reviews for Trump these days – something Trump is quick to point out. Facing a tough re-election battle thanks to his complete mismanagement of the coronavirus crisis, Trump must view Newsom’s kind words as political gold.

“He said everything that I could have hoped for,” Newsom said last month after a conversation with Trump. “Every single thing he said, they followed through.”

“Newsom has repeatedly said he has no criticisms for Trump’s coronavirus response,” according to a Sacramento Bee story by Sophia Bollag and Michael Wilner.

The compliments are understandable – to a degree. After all, Trump has turned this crisis into a hostage negotiation. He’s made it clear that he expects praise from the nation’s governors if they want federal help.

“They have to treat us well,” said Trump, whose son is dating Newsom’s ex-wife.

“President Donald Trump says he’s willing to help blue-state governors who are struggling to contain coronavirus outbreaks,” wrote Aaron Rupar of Vox. “But only if they’re willing to stop criticizing him in exchange.”

Of course, Trump has failed at almost every aspect of managing this crisis. His White House initially refused to act with urgency, stalling repeatedly over critical a 70-day period, according to a detailed analysis by the Washington Post.

Trump ignored early reports from American intelligence agencies and rebuffed pleas from medical experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci. He dismissed concerns about the virus as a “hoax” and downplayed its seriousness, allowing it to spread unchecked. Such delays will likely result in thousands of preventable deaths.

“It’s going to disappear,” Trump said in February. “One day it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”

Trump even continued to dismiss the threat after top White House adviser Peter Navarro “starkly warned Trump administration officials in late January that the coronavirus crisis could cost the United States trillions of dollars and put millions of Americans at risk of illness or death,” writes Maggie Haberman of the New York Times.

Now, Trump says, up to 250,000 Americans may die and his surgeon general warns that the next few weeks may compare to 9/11 and Pearl Harbor.

At a moment when our president should inspire calm and confidence, Trump produces fear and chaos. After a brief rise in the polls, his numbers are sinking as quickly as the number of infections, deaths and unemployment claims are rising.

It’s hard to imagine a more disastrous performance. But California’s governor begs to differ.

“Gov. Newsom has been very generous in his words, and I’m being generous to him, too, because we’re all working together very well,” Trump said.

During an interview on The View, Newsom denied Joy Behar’s suggestion that he’s being forced to kiss up.

“I’m not doing it to kiss the ring,” Newsom said. “I’m just being forthright with the president. He returns calls. He reaches out. He’s been proactive.”

But governors who don’t bow down to Trump receive very different treatment. Trump has attacked New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker while denying them desperately needed resources such as ventilators. That’s because all three governors have dared to honestly acknowledge Trump’s deadly incompetence.

Trump’s botched coronavirus response poses an existential threat to his re-election. Faced with a narrative of failure, he will need to create an alternative reality in which his leadership has been powerful, tremendous and great. I would be surprised if Trump’s campaign hasn’t already drafted an ad along those lines – starring Gavin Newsom.

Newsom’s in a tough position, and he’s right to avoid unnecessary conflict with Trump. Great diplomacy, however, requires a grasp of subtlety. It’s possible to stroke Trump’s ego without covering up his catastrophic errors.

Can Newsom temper his collegiality with reality? Or will his overdone applause come back to bite Democrats in November?

This story was originally published April 7, 2020 at 5:00 AM with the headline "Trump botched the coronavirus crisis. But will Gavin Newsom’s praise help re-elect him?."