“Absolute Authority,” No Responsibility.” Is this Trump’s plan for the pandemic?

It was a week ago when President of the United States foreshadowed his increasing anxiety over when and how to terminate the Great Shutdown, a stance he is well conscious will have existential outcomes–for the future of his own political life.

He termed the question of reopening the country amid the coronavirus epidemic “the biggest decision I will ever make” and “by far the biggest decision of my life,” as reported by CNBC Stream. Yet he advertised an evening “Major News Conference” on Thursday; there was just a hint of suspense from a guy who has been tweeting a lot about a “Light at the End of The Tunnel” and who acknowledged, on March 24th, that he wanted church pews “packed” by Easter.

Trump turned down the Easter deadline within days of supporting it. This might look like a head-spinning reversal. But it is classic Trump. His two memorable lines of the Covid-19, asserting “absolute authority” and “no responsibility at all,” are eagerly contradictory, and yet also fully consistent with his way of governing.

The novel coronavirus is undoubtedly a new sort of American crisis, but it has been dealt by the same old from America’s President: unhinged press conferences and outspread theories of conspiracy; attacks, lies, and bizarre nonsequiturs. Moreover, abrupt, seemingly baffling policy shifts from a leader who has no issue altering course at the price of his own credibility.

Given how unusual the events of the past weeks have been, you might consider Trump would put aside his prior preoccupations or rephrase his own playbook to accommodate the losses of over 170000 Americans. But you would be incorrect. He has maintained to criticize the speaker of the House, “Crazy Nancy” Pelosi, with whom he hasn’t spoken since the completion of his Senate impeachment trial.

Since the beginning of his presidency, Trump has called for the “absolute right” to do an extraordinary array of things.

Certainly, the list of those earlier undeclared and earlier unrecognized Presidential rights and authorities is so long and frantic that the only thing they look to have in common is the fact that Trump has claimed to have them.

President I Can Do Whatever I Want may not have counted on a virus as his foe, but these past few weeks of national emergency have showcased a Trump who has never been more Trumpian. He seems like the same inconsistent

President he has been for the last three years. His political playbook remains the same. He has no fresh moves. He has not been changed or even grown much in the office. Nor will he.