Critics have pointed out that the president could have vastly reduced his chances of getting the coronavirus by following the strongly recommended guidelines of the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as avoiding crowds, wearing a mask and maintaining appropriate social distancing.

Instead, he has hosted crowded campaign rallies — against the advice of several local officials — where few people, including the president, have worn masks or maintained a safe distance.

Carlson falsely insisted that CNN said Trump “deserved the sickness that he got.” He played a clip of CNN’s John Harwood, for example, who said that the president’s behavior has put a “lot of people” in “jeopardy,” including the “president himself.”