To Trump's supporters, his address likely came across as a decisive and bold move to face up to a national challenge.
But to critics it followed a familiar playbook -- as he blamed others for the crisis, basked in self-congratulation and xenophobia, and misled the country about his actions so far.
"This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to confront a foreign virus in modern history," Trump said, misrepresenting his own and his administration's catalog of missteps.
The President did not mention, for example, the shortage of testing kits, which means officials cannot even get a strong read on how far the disease has spread across the nation.
Presidents use Oval Office addresses in moments of extremis, to bind Americans together to confront a challenge that threatens their collective security.
But Trump's toneless, almost resentful address as he faces a challenge from outside that could threaten his reelection hopes is unlikely to fulfill the soaring mission of the presidency.
His central remedy -- blaming China, where the crisis was spawned, and Europe for becoming afflicted with it -- was consistent with his political mantra of demonizing foreigners.
The idea that a virus that affects all humans and is a naturally occurring force was some kind of foreign-brewed threat sent to attack Americans is in itself staggering in its conception.
The President did announce a raft of measures to support businesses and individuals with tax relief and low interest rates as the virus tightens its grip on the US.
But Trump's plan to self-isolate the US from Europe appears to be a case of closing the stable door after the horse has bolted -- the virus is already here and infecting more Americans by the day.
