Trump sees limits of presidency in avoiding blame for virus

President Donald Trump is confronting the most dangerous crisis a US leader has faced this century as the coronavirus spreads and a once-vibrant economy falters.

As the turmoil deepens, the choices he makes in the critical weeks ahead will shape his reelection prospects, his legacy and the character of the nation.

The early fallout is sobering. In the White House's best-case scenario, more than 100,000 Americans will die and millions more will be sickened.

At least 10 million have already lost their jobs, and some economists warn it could be years before they find work again.

The S&P 500 index has plunged more than 20%, and the US surgeon general predicted on Sunday that this week will be "our Pearl Harbour moment" as the death toll climbs.

Those grim realities are testing Trump's leadership and political survival skills unlike any challenge he has faced in office, including the special counsel investigation and the impeachment probe that imperiled his presidency.

Trump appears acutely aware that his political fortunes will be inextricably linked to his handling of the pandemic, alternating between putting himself at the centre of the crisis with lengthy daily briefings and distancing himself from the crisis by pinning the blame for inadequate preparedness on the states.

Trump and those around him increasingly argue he is reaching the limits of his power to alter the trajectory of the outbreak and the economic fallout, according to White House officials and allies, many of whom were granted anonymity to discuss the situation candidly.

The federal government has issued guidelines that in many areas have resulted in the shutdown of all but essential businesses, throwing the economy into a tailspin.

The remaining options, the officials argue, are largely on the margins.

The limits of the presidency are self-imposed to some extent as the Trump administration continues to cede authority to state and local governments, which have adopted a patchwork of inconsistent social distancing policies.

Washington Governor Jay Inslee, a Democrat, prickled at the suggestion that the Republican president has limited options, calling it "a diminished view of the presidential responsibility".

"Was Franklin Delano Roosevelt done with his work 30 days after Pearl Harbor? Heavens, no. That's ludicrous," Inslee said in an interview. "For a person who's struggling to get (personal protective equipment) to my nurses and test kits to my long-term care facilities, that is more than disappointing. It's deeply angering."