President Donald Trump's declaration this week that he is a "wartime president" signals a shift in his re-election campaign as he simultaneously leads the country through the coronavirus crisis and tries to secure another term in office.
During a Wednesday White House press conference to update Americans about the COVID-19 virus, Trump called himself a "wartime president." As Politico noted Thursday, this could indicate a new strategy for the Trump team.
Past presidents who were considered "wartime presidents" won re-election during wars: Presidents Abraham Lincoln (Civil War), Franklin D. Roosevelt (World War II), and George W. Bush (Iraq and Afghanistan Wars), for example.
After being accused of not taking the coronavirus threat seriously for weeks until it was clear that it would become a global pandemic, Trump is now fighting to gain enough support among anxious voters who don't know what their immediate future will bring. The virus has resulted in massive losses on Wall Street, which many believe will lead to a recession.
Alan Dershowitz even called the crisis the most severe one the U.S. has faced since the Civil War.
Politico noted that Trump used wartime phrasing during his Wednesday press conference that was aimed at bringing Americans together to fight the virus.
"Every generation of Americans has been called to make shared sacrifices for the good of the nation," Trump said. "Now it's our time. We must sacrifice together, because we are all in this together, and we will come through together."
The virus has infected more than 221,000 people worldwide and has killed nearly 10,000. In the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University data, more than 9,400 people have contracted the virus and 150 people have died.