I don't know about you, but I don't feel more at ease knowing that the president has brought in his kids to restore calm and order to the pandemic sweeping across the country. Ivanka was on hand for his briefing to a specially selected group of "small business owners" at the White House. Maybe she helped him write the speech as it showed a level of empathy we haven't heard from the Donald before. Meanwhile Jared labels the White House coronavirus battle a "success story," despite deaths now topping 60,000 with more than a million cases reported nationwide. For the Donald it is all about the pitch, but does he really think his kids will save him?
We have not seen this level of nepotism since Bill Clinton named Hillary to head the health care panel in his administration. Republicans balked then but are mum now as Trump actively consults Javanka on key issues and has Jared leading Middle East Peace and coronavirus business task forces. Ivanka had always been in the spotlight, cashing in on lucrative trademarks for her apparel line. Jared had lurked in the shadows but is now coming out into the light, sounding more like the offspring of Gilbert Gottfried than a well-healed real estate developer. No offense to Gilbert.
The worst part isn't that they have no special skills to suggest they know what they are doing, but that they are totally oblivious to what is going on in the country. Coronavirus deaths spiked by 2390 yesterday. This after we saw much lower numbers earlier in the week. What's worse is that the deaths are spreading across the country. New York has shown a marked improvement over the last two weeks, while states like Ohio, Pennsylvania and Michigan have all shown significant increases in deaths. Many other states have shown a major rise in cases, including Texas and Florida. All states Trump won in 2016 but is in serious danger of losing in 2020.
This is not a red state/blue state thing, as Trump and Mitch have actively pitched. We are all in this together. Unfortunately, there is no federal coordinated effort as we hear federal health experts say one thing and Trump and his kids say exactly the opposite. The situation is not getting better by any stretch of the imagination, and while it may improve by July it certainly won't be "rocking," as Jared so callously put it.
The White House has been pitching a model at press briefings that deaths would top out at 66,000 before summer. As of yesterday, we nearly reached 62,000, so unless things improve dramatically in May we will be well over that number by June 21. We will more likely surpass 100,000 deaths, as initially projected, especially with so many states relaxing their restrictions under pressure from conservative business and political interests, or simply to shirk responsibility for unemployment compensation and health care benefits.
Always trying to downplay the bad news, Trump tweeted yet again that these death totals might be inflated in an effort to "steal the election." At least he spelled steal correctly. He's been having problems with words lately. Maybe he had Ivanka proofread his tweets as well?
Ever since COVID-19 began to spread across the country, Trump has seen his poll numbers slide. Joe doesn't have to do anything. He can sit on the sidelines and watch as the Donald continuously makes a fool of himself at press briefings, simply because he won't take the time to read a White House brief beforehand. The president wings it instead, often with appalling results that literally make his health experts cringe.
Little surprise we are now seeing allegations of sexual abuse against Joe Biden swirling in the media. Not that the media shouldn't do its job, but is that really a "story" right now?
Of course, we have been inundated with news of coronavirus ever since the NBA and NCAA cancelled its basketball games in early March. As I've said before, the NBA acted more quickly than the White House in containing this virus when two of its players tested positive. The NCAA quickly followed suit, cancelling its highly lucrative postseason tournament. Shouldn't we be continuously asking why the White House lagged so far behind on this pandemic?
Instead, we see Trump trying to spin this virus in his favor, whether it is boasting of a higher testing rate than anyone else in the world (untrue), wonder cures (untrue), and now that the "worst days are behind us" (similarly untrue). At every stage of this pandemic, he has either bent information or outright lied before the public in an effort to project himself as being on top of the pandemic.
It's like the captain of the Titanic telling everyone that things are OK as the ship tilts deeper into the icy waters of the Northern Atlantic, knowing full well there aren't enough lifeboats for everyone, while Republican leaders stand idly by like his devoted crew, herding their preferred passengers aboard the handful of lifeboats. Appalling doesn't come close to describing the situation. At least the captain and crew went down with the ship. Not Trump. He continues to use Ivanka to pitch a kinder, gentler version of himself, while saving a lifeboat for he and his family.
Other than seeing a Navy hospital ship off to New York, neither Trump nor anyone in his family, has made any public show of solidarity with the essential workers battling this virus everyday. A far cry from other state and world leaders who have made a point to identify themselves with the doctors, nurses, emergency medical service and transportation workers, who have literally risked their lives to aid the victims of this pandemic by providing essential services. Instead, Ivanka and Jared defy quarantine to attend a passover service at one of Trump's resorts, while he tried to sneak out of the White House for a round of golf.
We don't expect the president to put himself in harm's way during a crisis like this, but we do expect him to show some level of empathy for those afflicted. Instead, he continues to berate blue state governors, health experts, and the media for making much more out of this pandemic than needs to be. In his mind, the worst is over and we can get back to business as usual so that he can prepare for the election this fall and not be bothered by all this pesky information to the contrary.
I just hope Americans will remember what transpired these two months and what will continue to transpire in the months ahead, as this president continues to play fast and loose with the numbers in an effort to give himself a "10" for his response.
Difficult, and I mean VERY difficult, to believe the idiot-in-chief's approval ratings remain as high as they do. He has demonstrated a level of incompetence which is unmatchable in USA history. The blood of 60,000+ Americans is in his hands while he applauds himself. Shame, shame on him and his cultish disciples.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else and his ratings would be in the toilet, but Trump somehow manages to keep his head above water.
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