I Heard Two Presidential Speeches Today — Trump Gave Neither of Them
Biden, Bernie nail their coronavirus addresses.
On March 11, Donald Trump ushered cameras into the Oval Office so he could address the public on the coronavirus pandemic.
It was one of the few times Trump has used the Oval Office for such an address. Rallies and driveway press gaggles are more his thing. But the pandemic called for something “presidential.”
The only things “presidential” in the speech, however, were the gold “Nixon-esque” drapes behind Trump.
Trump used a teleprompter, which he always has trouble reading. He mumbled through some portions of the speech, but worse, he flubbed essential bits of policy.
He said trade from Europe was going to stop. He seemed to say that Americans stranded in Europe could not come home. And, of course, he said that there are plenty of coronavirus testing kits and the federal government would pay for people to get them.
Trump and his people spent March 12 walking back those bungles — while the stock market tumbled again, tripping SEC circuit breakers for the second time in a week.
