Americans are seeing a new Donald Trump as the president works to contain and get ahead of the Coronavirus.
No longer is he just a political gladiator taking shots at his critics and enemies.
He doesn’t engage in partisan posturing and only lightly claims credit for such early actions as the travel ban from China.
He is now for the first time looking like a competent manager, coordinating a team that faces daunting tasks against heavy odds. He works and plays well with others — a big change — as he brings in private sector leaders and experts to make anti-virus plans work.
He persuades the likes of Walmart to donate some of their parking lot to virus testing.
He gets the FDA to fast track approvals of testing technologies. He even seems able to work with Nancy Pelosi, reportedly agreeing on a package of economic and financial relief that includes waiving interest on student debt and providing paid medical leave to victims, short-term loans to affected businesses, expanded nutrition programs and a myriad of other efforts to mitigate the effects of the virus.
He is not picking fights with anyone, even the European Union, and seems content to lead an above-politics effort to deal with the public emergency.
We learned a lot about George W. Bush on 9/11, and now we are learning about who Donald Trump really is.
No longer the reality show performer or a galvanizing take-no-prisoners partisan; he is just about getting the job done.
He’s sharing the credit and generous in praising the work of others. How much of the new Donald Trump reflects the influence of Vice President Mike Pence?
This former governor is used to the challenges of management and, perhaps, his modest style is seeping over into his president.