Washington Free Beacon founding editor Matthew Continetti said Thursday that the coronavirus poses a threat to President Donald Trump politically, but he could contrast himself with Democrats favorably by showing leadership.
"Let's not forget, fundamentally, elections are between two candidates," Continetti said during an appearance on Fox News. "If the Trump administration continues to have the responsible measures it's taking, showing itself in command of the situation, on top of things, and the alternative is, say, Bernie Sanders, who many people are leery of, then I'm not so sure how we can decide how the coronavirus will play in the general election."
He added that if the virus continues to adversely affect the economy, then Democratic candidates would likely benefit because they are the opposition party.
"I think the economy is the issue," he said. "To the degree that the coronavirus affects the economy negatively, then it would be, I think, to the advantage of the opposition party."
Stocks fell for a sixth consecutive day Thursday, as the market entered correction territory. The S&P 500 fell more than 10 percent over the course of a week.