Today's briefing makes one thing very clear — the U.S. government is expecting its citizens to suffer waves of tragedy in the coming weeks. There's no best-case scenario anymore.

— Chris Megerian (@ChrisMegerian) March 31, 2020

Started covering the White House in 1996 and it's hard to remember many briefings as grim or sober as this one. The best case scenarios outlined today envision about twice as many dead Americans as the entire Vietnam War or more.

— Peter Baker (@peterbakernyt) March 31, 2020

"What would've happened if we did nothing? Because there was a group that said, 'let's just ride it out.' … 2.2 million people would've died" — here's Trump laying the groundwork to claim up to 200,000 American deaths as a victory on the campaign trail this year pic.twitter.com/zlTFxiqIT6

— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) March 31, 2020

The statement he should have made in February. Or the 1st of March, while he also gave clear and truthful details of massive national testing program rollout by weeks ago.

This is just tired-ass failed governing. https://t.co/W38FUrbJ2o

— Craig Newman (@craignewman) March 31, 2020

Trump says "a lot of people" wanted him to just "ride it out" as if it was "the flu."

"It's not the flu," he says, correctly.

But *HE* repeatedly likened it to the flu. He said four days ago that you can call it a flu.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 31, 2020

"Being untethered from linear time allows Trump to deny reality with impunity… Pointing out to Trump that he said something different yesterday, last week, or an hour or a year ago, doesn’t faze him."https://t.co/W7qEZ6dvAW https://t.co/kIoLVoMUKF

— Michael Socolow (@MichaelSocolow) March 31, 2020

It is really rich for this President who called this virus a hoax criticizing the states of NY and NJ for getting off to a late start. We are where we are because of what you refused to do.

— Joe Lockhart (@joelockhart) March 31, 2020

Trump declined to address the substance of Cuomo's criticism of this ventilator acquisition process that pits states against other states. Instead, he accuses Cuomo of being a complainer and says he should appreciate what the state has been given.

— Daniel Dale (@ddale8) March 31, 2020

Correct. He and the rest of Putin's Choir (Hannity, Falwell, Limbaugh, Ingraham, Rand Paul) sang a song of "NO BIG DEAL!" pic.twitter.com/enUM0AIVxa

— Mindful Primate (@MichellesDude) March 31, 2020

Trump is now blowing up the “impeachment hobbled his response“ because he can’t bring himself to admit that he didn’t do as well as he wants to think he did.

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) March 31, 2020

I warned everyone yesterday, but who listens?

Don’t fall for Trump’s effort to recast himself as the benevolent leader of a unified countryhttps://t.co/C9UrUCsCUx https://t.co/QyNXtIKOGR

— Dan Froomkin (PressWatchers.org) (@froomkin) March 31, 2020

Trump went from bragging that he would keep the virus from killing a single American to bragging that he'll keep it under a quarter million deaths.

Wrap your head around that. Don't let the normalization of his lies numb it.

250,000 living, breathing humans.

— Jared Yates Sexton (@JYSexton) March 31, 2020

"[W]hen you have 15 people, and the 15 within a couple of days is going to be down to close to zero, that's a pretty good job we've done."
–Donald Trump, Feb. 26, 2020 https://t.co/MW1SPSsEYI
Today: 100,000 deaths at low end of prediction https://t.co/hrWnyI6bdX

— Rick Hasen (@rickhasen) March 31, 2020

And here we go, with the preemptive attempt to claim credit for not taking the “do-nothing” option. As if that was really an option.

— Tom Nichols (@RadioFreeTom) March 31, 2020

Fauci: "We have to brace ourselves….We will continue to see things go up." He explains mitigation may not be seen in the numbers for 2 weeks or so. "Press it down on the accelerator…for the next 30 days," he says about mitigation/social distancing. "This will be the answer." pic.twitter.com/bvYAKHWWBm

— David Corn (@DavidCornDC) March 31, 2020

NEW. My interview with Fauci:https://t.co/gpUi6GOcds

— Gabriel Sherman (@gabrielsherman) March 31, 2020

When Trump turns it over to Dr. Birx, CNN goes live from the White House. pic.twitter.com/7GDPit8o8f

— Jim Roberts (@nycjim) March 31, 2020

Dr Birx on what is a call to battle for everyone: "There's no magic bullet, there's no magic vaccine or therapy.
It's just behaviors. Each of our behaviors translating into something that changes the course of this pandemic over the next 30 days"

— Chris Jansing (@ChrisJansing) March 31, 2020

This is now the media scenario. It could be worse, if our fellow citizens refuse to stay at home and abide by the recommendations. It's up to us to make sure we help our frontline healthcare experts can confront this. If we fail, many will die- including many of them.

— Justin Hendrix (@justinhendrix) March 31, 2020

Trump: "We have some hospitals in some states that think they need ventilators and we don't think they do."

— Kyle Griffin (@kylegriffin1) March 31, 2020

Mayor Eric Garcetti issued a stay-at-home order for Los Angeles before New York did. Now, the city could see an increase in cases. In conversation with @EmilyJaneFox, Garcetti explains how southern California is bracing for the worst https://t.co/v3OeubrEAg

— VANITY FAIR (@VanityFair) March 31, 2020

Donald Trump's Blame Game https://t.co/Il4mh64Tsf via @BulwarkOnline

— Charlie Sykes (@SykesCharlie) March 31, 2020

Extremely concerning. Unlike the administration's emergency use authorization for hydroxychloroquine and chloroquine, this drug is not approved at all in the US. To be sure, EUA is not the same as approval. But there are real dangers in politicizing the FDA as the admin is doing. https://t.co/EXSgdQci5W

— Rachel Sachs (@RESachs) March 31, 2020

Stunningly worrisome story. Remember there’s no Navy Secretary right now because the last one was fired for refusing an illegal order from Trump. https://t.co/n0rJ7vuehQ

— Garrett M. Graff (@vermontgmg) March 31, 2020

“What’s more important? Building an aircraft carrier … or saving a hundred thousand lives?" The Defense Production Act has been used by the military thousands of time, but with the pandemic, President Trump sees it as a "break the glass" last resort. https://t.co/9UAeHj6Um1

— NYT Politics (@nytpolitics) March 31, 2020

Trump rejects reopening Obamacare enrollment during pandemic — and sets up red states for disaster
https://t.co/VSO5YgUPgB

— Raw Story (@RawStory) March 31, 2020

An "Outdoor Easter Blow Out Service. Not online. A National gathering . . . like Woodstock."

1. Buffoon
2. Moron
3. Future COVID-19 victim.

Have at it. https://t.co/TcqFyurZ6Z

— Brian J. Karem (@BrianKarem) March 31, 2020

45’s cover/fuck up of the American pandemic response is already responsible for a worse calamity than 9/11. There will be a political reckoning like the GOP has never seen. Think the drip, drip, drip of an Iran Hostage Crisis for Carter but infinitely worse: A daily body count.

— Alexander Heffner (@heffnera) March 31, 2020

65,000 EU nationals work in NHS hospitals.#WhenThisisAllOver, many thousands of EU nationals in the UK could lose their status because the government has insisted on persisting with a broken application system. https://t.co/qsp0TLyPWx

— European Movement UK (@euromove) March 31, 2020

Italy frets over lockdown, eyes eventual staggered re-opening https://t.co/i0YxNIltTh pic.twitter.com/0zl1NDfTuZ

— Reuters (@Reuters) March 31, 2020