Donald Trump has handled the Covid-19 pandemic as well as you’d expect someone like him to: not very well.
In typical Trump fashion, the US president first claimed in January that the coronavirus was nothing to worry about, before contradicting that statement in March, saying he knew it was a pandemic long before anyone else did.
Here are some actual quotes from the world’s most orange political leader:
Jan. 22
“We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”
Feb 26
“Because of all we’ve done, the risk to the American people remains very low”.
Feb. 27
“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
March 17
“I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic.”
March 18
“I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the ‘borders’ from China – against the wishes of almost all.
His blatant denial of past statements and refusal to acknowledge his failure in handling the outbreak in the US might make you want to bang your head against a wall.
Only a Justin Timberlake gif can accurately express your annoyance with this man.
Well, he’s said something controversial again, and this time, it may be a little harder to defend.
Trump Says US Must Reopen Even If More People Get Sick or Die, As the Virus Will Pass
Americans should begin returning to their everyday lives even if more people get sick and die from Covid-19, says US President Donald Trump.
Trump has been pushing to ease lockdown restrictions and restart the economy ever since early April, even when the disease was ravaging the country.
He says he’s preparing for “phase two” of the US response to Covid-19, which will involve disbanding the White House task force of public health experts.
Yes, even though experts warned that reopening the country too soon will actually threaten “health and life”, Trump wants to reopen the economy, despite knowing the suffering it will cause.
“Will some people be affected? Yes. Will some people be affected badly? Yes,” Trump said. “But we have to get our country open and we have to get it open soon”.
But why? Why is he willing to risk so many lives just to rejuvenate the economy?
Reader: To make America great again?
More like to make himself great again.
Covid-19 Hurts Re-election Chances
See, according to TIME, the coronavirus outbreak is triggering a new financial crisis that could hurt Trump’s bid for a second term as president.
Sharp drops in the stock market, school and office closures, crashing oil prices, and widespread disruptions to other major industries have all had a significant impact on the economy.
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In other words, Trump wants to ease lockdown restrictions and get Americans out of their houses to increase his chances of getting re-elected.
This actually happened before, when the financial crisis in 2008 prompted many voters to switch from the ruling Republicans to the Democrats in that year’s election, voting for Barack Obama.
This is why Trump said closing down the nation was “the biggest decision I’ve ever had to make”.
But what is most off-putting about Trump’s desire to reopen the nation is his seeming indifference to the death it will cause.
“There’ll be more death,” he said. “The virus will pass, with or without a vaccine. And I think we’re doing very well on the vaccines but, with or without a vaccine, it’s going to pass, and we’re going to be back to normal.”
“But it’s been a rough process. There is no question about it,” Trump said. “I think our economy is going to be raging” next year, he added.
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Disagreed With Models
The US President also dismissed two projections that predicted what would happen if lockdown orders were lifted too early:
- A Johns Hopkins University model that showed deaths could reach 3,000 per day by 1 June
- A University of Washington analysis showing the US death toll could reach 135,000 by the beginning of August.
Trump says these models are “so wrong”.
But some of you may want to give this man the benefit of the doubt. Even though he’s gone against the advice of doctors, contradicted himself several times in the last few months, and even considered injected bleach into the body to fight Covid-19.
Maybe he knows more about Covid-19 than infectious disease experts? Maybe he’ll be the one to save the US from this pandemic? Maybe-
Oh ok, he just went to a manufacturing plant and wore goggles but not a face mask.
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Trump not wearing mask but goggles at Honeywell facility. Other aides not wearing masks at all. Sign in facility says “face mask required in this area.” pic.twitter.com/Uq7Fr2ioeS
— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) May 5, 2020
Yeah, America is doomed.
