The Memo: DeSantis-Biden sniping underscores COVID-19 frustration

A nation that had begun to celebrate victory in the exhausting fight against the coronavirus is starting to realize the end is not in sight after all.

As the light at the end of the tunnel recedes, the big political question is who will be punished by a frustrated public. 

Daily new COVID-19 cases have risen by more than 50 percent in the last week alone. Major cities including New York and Washington have tightened restrictions.

Meanwhile, the start of the new school year is looming — a pivotal moment for children and parents frazzled by the challenges of pandemic-era learning.

The resurgence of COVID-19 threatens the political fortunes of President Biden, who has up until now been given high marks by the public on the issue.

Some Democrats fixate on two moments they fear will come back to haunt the president. 

One was his July 4 White House event at which he said that the country had “gained the upper hand” and that it was “closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus.” 

The other came earlier, when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) abruptly announced that fully vaccinated people could go without masks.

“The notion of declaring pseudo-victory — who thought that was a good idea?” one Democratic strategist said with exasperation. “We have to rethink the messengers and the message.”

This strategist also worried that, having initially taken credit for progress against the pandemic, the White House will be unable “to deflect blame” as things slip off-track.