Coronavirus USA Update: President Trump Only Wants 'Good News' About Virus Outbreak, Says Report

New reports Monday revealed how President Trump underestimated the severity of the coronavirus outbreak and refused to hear any bad news on it.

Former and current officials inside the White House, whose names haven’t been released, reportedly said Trump encouraged an atmosphere where staff avoids telling him “bad news.” Instead, they reportedly give him news that falls under and appeal to Trump’s “comfort zone,” rewarding some officials and shunning others.

“It’s a clearly difficult situation when the top wants to hear certain answers,” one official told Politico. “That can make it difficult for folks to express their true assessment — even the most experienced and independent minds.”

Another official pointed to Trump’s motion to allow hospitals and labs to start developing their own tests for coronavirus. However, they said Trump could have allowed this several weeks earlier and several advisers told him it was necessary.

The new reports follow Trump’s visit to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters in Atlanta. He signed an emergency spending bill to provide the necessary funds to the CDC in order to combat the spread of the coronavirus. He also attempted to blame President Obama for alleged regulations that caused a delay that two officials said were false.

Another official said Trump was reportedly “melting down” from the outbreak and allegedly told aides he was afraid some journalists would try to infect him on Air Force One.

The officials also said the system Trump put in place to manage the outbreak has been another source of confusion for White House staff.

Vice President Mike Pence, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, and coronavirus task force coordinator Debbie Birx are the three administration officials in charge of combating the outbreak. Some staff was allegedly “unsure” about Birx’s role on the team as any related questions were reportedly sent to Pence’s office. The White House responded by saying Birx served as Pence’s right-hand woman and adviser while Azar oversaw the department’s operations.

However, Azar has reportedly been balancing how to combat the outbreak while trying to stay on Trump’s “good side.”

“We have in President Trump the greatest protector of religious liberty who has ever sat in the Oval Office,” Azar said during a Jan. 16 appearance on Fox News and a pro-life rally.

One official said Azar's comments were made to regain favor with Trump after reportedly being called an alarmist by White House aides.

“Because he feels pretty insecure, about the feuds within his department and the desire to please the president, I don’t know if he was in the position to deliver the message that the president didn’t want to hear,” one official said of Azar.