Ari Fleischer: Trump's coronavirus communications challenge – Why these two things are critical

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In times of crisis, presidents have two communications tasks. The first is to be realistic with the public. The second is to reassure them.

The two reinforce each other. The more realistic a president is, the more likely the public will accept his reassuring statements. The more reassuring the president is, the better for the health of our country. No matter how bad things get in pandemics or war, the public wants to hear that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Early on, President Trump was too reassuring and not realistic enough. In the last two weeks, however, he has hit his stride. He bluntly and realistically told the country how bad the coronavirus crisis is, how long it might last, and how many people might die.

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Tough medicine. But if the president isn’t bluntly honest, he risks losing the confidence of the country. The more realistic he is and the more he levels with the country, the better for everyone.

His late February statement that there were only 15 people infected and it would go down to zero turned out wrong. His March 11 Oval Office address to the nation lacked emotion and failed to connect. It sounded like the president hadn’t read the speech before he delivered it.

A post-Sept.11 moment comes to mind.

On Sept. 13, 2001, President Bush called New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York Gov. George Pataki to inform them he would visit Ground Zero the next day. The White House press pool was in the Oval Office to hear the call and ask questions.

Francine Kiefer, of the Christian Science Monitor, asked Bush, "Could you give us a sense as to what kind of prayers you are thinking and where your heart is for yourself?"

Tears filled Bush’s eyes, as he replied, “Well, I don't think about myself right now. I think about the families, the children. I am a loving guy and I am also someone, however, who has got a job to do. And I intend to do it."

I thought of that question when I watched President Trump at his daily news conference on March 16 answer a question about what he told his son Barron.

It was a simple, penetrating question.

"I’m curious, how are you talking to your own family about this? How are you talking to your youngest son?” asked ABC News’ Cecilia Vega.

“I’ve spoken actually with my son. He says, 'How bad is this?' It’s bad. It’s bad,” the president answered with a touch of emotion in his voice.

It was a breakthrough moment.

That frank acknowledgment connected him to the American people. It showed he shared their concerns and that he was being realistic.

In a crisis like this, many things will go wrong. For the president, leadership derives from frankly and realistically explaining why something went wrong and then stating how it will be fixed.

President Trump is a promoter at heart. He loves to emphasize how everything is the best and how well things are going. He doesn’t like to acknowledge when things go wrong.

Until now.

It’s no coincidence that his approval ratings have been going up recently, with Gallup reporting that 60 percent of the American people approve of how he has handled this crisis.

No matter how bad things get, it’s vital the president keeps up this realistic tone.

One reason Dr. Anthony Fauci is held in high regard is that he is bluntly direct and realistic. When he admitted the lack of testing kits was a “failing,” he gained credibility with the public.

Politicians often think their job is to deflect blame or diminish problems. Often, the press piles on when a president admits things are bad.

But in a time of genuine crisis, those rules don’t apply. The public is hungry for facts and realism, and they care little about the blame game.

In a crisis like this, many things will go wrong. For the president, leadership derives from frankly and realistically explaining why something went wrong and then stating how it will be fixed. He can rise above the finger-pointing by being blunt and showing leadership.

President Trump is also a tough guy. The more he shows a caring side, the stronger a leader he can be. Throughout his presidency, he has punched and counter-punched. In this crisis, the public also wants to know he cares, that there is a sentimental side to our leader. Displaying emotion like that doesn’t come easily to the president.

It doesn’t help that he is tied down and can’t travel. In wartime, presidents have visited hospitals, which are today’s front line, to see the wounded and lift morale. It helps them connect with those who suffer, and the nation benefits from the outward display of caring.

Whether or not the president can do that from a podium, or on a call with doctors or nurses, remains to be seen. But it’s an important part of being a wartime communicator.

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One area where the president excels is through hope. He is right when he talks about a better day, with an economy that soars back. The nation wants reassurance that we can get back on our feet and return to the “good old days” of 2019, just a few short months ago. The president’s hope for a new drug, pews filled by Easter, and a roaring economy put him on the right side.

So long as he is realistic about when that will be, his message of reassurance will be well received.

Realism and reassurance. That’s President Trump’s communications job now.

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