“When trust and confidence in an individual are lost, they are usually dispensed with. However, when that person is the President of the United States, it is the country that loses.” Those are the closing words in an article I published in February, 2018. They are even more true today as we face a possible pandemic that is already wreaking havoc in several sectors.
On Wednesday (26 Feb 2020) Trump held a conference to address the current Coronavirus (COVID-19) problem. His introduction was a rambling, self-indulgent, incoherent and factually-incorrect jeremiad that he hoped would help calm the economic jitters of Wall Street. It was so ineffective that the DOW dropped nearly 1200 points the following day, a plunge that continues as I write this (Friday, 28 Feb).
The reason for the failure to stem the market freefall is simple. Faced with many thousands of lies or misleading statements, many educated American people have lost faith in the trust and confidence in the Trump’s veracity and ability to tell the truth even when the facts are self-evident. For those of us who watched the news conference, it was clear that the medical professionals who spoke after him had a different view of the situation.
One but can wonder what they might have said if Trump wasn’t literally hovering over their shoulders and staring glumly at them. There is precedence for caution when speaking officially as Trump has traditionally shot the messenger when bad news is publicly reported. You have to look no further than the recent firing of Joe McGuire as acting DNI only to be replaced by a totally inexperienced sycophant. McGuire’s sin was allowing the truth of current Russian activity in support of Trump’s re-election (and yes, support for Bernie Sanders as well).
As news of the Coronavirus in China first broke, there was major criticism of the country’s handling of the information by American media. We know that the Dr. Li Wenliang, who first recognized the mutation, was admonished for discussing it. Remember, he paid with his life as he succumbed to COVID-19 on 6 February, less than two months after he attempted to sound the alarm in December, 2019. Li and several other doctors were called in for questioning and accused of “fear-mongering” for attempting to alert both the medical community and the public about the emergence of this new, SARS-like disease that carries potentially fatal consequences.
In addition, Chinese officials were blamed for concealing the severity of the disease and the number of patients that had been infected. There were many articles condemning the lack of transparency on vital information necessary to halt the potential pandemic as quickly as possible. Some countries with advanced intelligence capabilities employed those techniques to gather data.
On the internet rumors ran rampant. Some were sure this was an accidental, or intentional, release from a bioweapons lab. Not all of the posts were from nut cases. Even Senator Tom Cotton posited that theory. Other unsubstantiated claims were made on the Internet include that CIA holds the patent on the virus; it was stolen from Canada; it can be cured by drinking bleach, or by ingesting garlic.
But you must remember that Trump also spread considerable false information. He told the public the disease was “totally under control in this country.” He also stated a miracle might happen and the when April arrived with higher temperatures Coronavirus could end on its own. Right-wing media chimed in with multiple Fox News Channel hosts vociferously claiming that the outbreak was not nearly as bad as it was and that politically motivated MSM (mainstream media) were the real culprits for exaggerating the news all in an effort to bring down Trump. The most undeserving person to ever receive the Medal of Freedom, Rush Limbaugh, even stated this Coronavirus was equivalent to the “common cold.” He too was supporting the notion that the outbreak was being politically weaponized against Trump. DJT JR. went so far as to tweet that “Dems” wanted to see millions die from the disease
As should be obvious, Trump, and his echo chamber, were very much acting in concert with the approach that China’s government was accused of employing. That is, minimizing the severity of the problem while denigrating those sources who were raising legitimate concerns about the problem. Like the Chinese Government, they also went after whistleblowers warned of violations of medical protocols designed to help contain the spread of the deadly disease. Specifically, it is known that a person who dutifully reported the incidents to supervisors in the Department of Health and Human Services was summarily reassigned to a new position, sans responsibilities. Basically, they shunned her for doing the right thing. It is known that the whistleblower is a senior official with much experience and a high level of credibility. For her efforts to protect American lives, under HHS Secretary Alex Azar, Stars and Stripes reported: “She was told Feb. 19 that if she does not accept the new position in 15 days, which is March 5, she would be terminated.” A grateful nation in action. Note that Alex Azar was a pharmaceutical industry lobbyist prior to assuming his position in HHS. Though blindsided by the appointment of Mike Pence, he still praised Trump on his leadership in handling the problem.
Retribution is hardly a new approach for the Trump Administration. Remember what happened to Lieutenant Colonels Alexander and Yevgeny Vindman, Ambassador Sondland, or Department of Defense official, Elaine McCusker who refused to break the law for Trump. With retaliation a hallmark of Trump, these and several other people were attacked for carrying out their responsibilities supporting all American citizens.
Eschewing advice from qualified experts, Trump again approached the Coronavirus problem by appointing a totally unqualified bootlicker to nominally head the response effort, Vice President Mike Pence. His capabilities, or lack thereof, were demonstrated when he was Governor of Indiana and dealing with an AIDS epidemic. Many other outlets have reported on his gross incompetence. To reassure the public, Trump noted that he appointed Pence as “he didn’t have anything else to do.” Completely unconvinced, Wall Street continued its plunge recording the worst week since the 2008 beginning of the Great Recession.
What is clear is that a global issue has arisen that could evolve into a full-blown pandemic. This is a situation in which America has the intellectual and medical resources to ameliorate the situation and could play a leading role in the international response. It is essential that as much accurate information as possible be collected, analyzed and disseminated as rapidly as possible. What we now are experiencing is the result of electing incompetent leadership which surrounded the government with appointed inexperienced senior leaders whose main attribute is subservience to an autocratic individual. Now America is paying the price – even though many have yet to recognize it. While Trump is known for holding disdain for experts of all ilk, the country cannot.
While considerable criticism was leveled against how China responded to the emerging crisis of Coronavirus, Trump, and his administration, acted in much the same manner. Repeatedly, Trump has demonstrated that he places his personal interests above those of the country. With the Coronavirus you see that scenario played out. In his reality, Trump’s self-interests are paramount, even if it means your death.
