https://www.politico.com/news/2020/10/02/maga-world-blame-adulation-trump-covid-425624
Yet the base’s response mirrors the way Trump has instructed his followers to react to any pandemic-related news: downplay, craft optimistic storylines and accuse the Democrats and media of obfuscation and vitriol. It’s how the president has reacted to nearly every unwelcome pandemic-related development in recent months, whether it was early concerns over personal protective equipment and hospital space, or a death toll that recently surpassed 200,000.
“He works 20 hours a day. I think he’ll be tough,” said Mike Lindell, CEO of MyPillow and a Trump surrogate flirting with the Minnesota governorship, in an interview. “He's a fighter. It'll be tough to keep him down.”