Will Trump be a victim of Coronavirus?
The Guardian reports:
Eight months from a presidential election, the virus has jeopardised Trump’s central reelection argument – a strong economy – just as Joe Biden, the candidate emerging from the Democratic field, seems poised to take advantage by offering stability and a safe pair of hands.
Michael Steele, former chairman of the Republican National Committee, said: “The most calming and reassuring presidential voice of the past 24 hours has been Joe Biden. As a Republican, this is hard for me to say but it’s true.”
The coronavirus pandemic is being described as a once-in-a-lifetime event. History remembers how presidents handle such crises – and to Trump, it seems unlikely to be kind. He may be regarded as a Nero, fiddling while Rome burned.
Trump has failed at even the most basic task of a President – to communicate the right information. Here’s a list of just a few of the many false statements he has made on Coronavirus:
- 24 Jan – said the virus is totally under control
- 28 Jan – said falsely Johnson & Johnson creating a vaccine
- 30 Jan – said it is a very little problem
- 10 Feb – said will go away in April when it is warmer
- 19 Feb – said the numbers will progressively get better
- 23 Feb – said it was under control
- 26 Feb – said numbers were going down, not up
- 27 Feb – predicted it would soon disappear
- 29 Feb – said a vaccine would be available very quickly
- 4 March – said was very mild
- 4 March – said he had a hunch that death rate would be a fraction of 1%
- 6 March – falsely said anyone who wants to be tested can be
- 7 March – said not concerned at all
- 10 March – said will go away if people stay calm
- 11 March – said all travel from Europe was banned, but in fact was only foreign citizens
- 11 March – incorrectly said trade and cargo from Europe was banned
- 11 March – said insurers would cover all costs of testing and treatment, but treatment isn’t covered
- 12 March – said Americans who return from overseas are currently being tested very heavily for the coronavirus – not true
Trump’s pathological inability to tell the truth is normally disturbing but not overly harmful. But having him constantly say the wrong thing about a virus causing a global pandemic is exceptionally harmful and shows why he is so psychologically unsuitable to hold any elected office.
And no pointing out Trump has stuffed up is not TDS. True TDS is Trump Defender Syndrome – those so crazed by their support of him that they can’t actually intelligently respond to criticism of him except by yelling out TDS.