Let it be noted, at long last, that on the final day of March in the year 2020, the 45th president of the United States finally told the truth. Not all of the truth, or even most of the truth, but enough truth nonetheless to stop the presses in dramatic fashion.

“I want every American to be prepared for the hard days that lie ahead,” a somber Donald Trump said at what has been, until yesterday, another useless White House COVID-19 briefing. “We’re going to go through a very tough two weeks, and then hopefully as the experts are predicting, you’re going to start seeing some real light at the end of the tunnel. But this is going to be a very painful, a very, very painful two weeks.”

Professional Trump watchers (hand raised) were genuinely astonished at his change in demeanor. He seemed, to my eye anyway, to be some half-baked incarnation of Ebenezer Scrooge after the Ghost of Christmas-yet-to-come slapped him on the ass. “I’ve never seen President Trump like this,” said CNN’s Jim Acosta. “He is scared right now. This was a different Donald Trump tonight. I think he gets it.”