A timeline of Trump’s actions during the COVID-19 pandemic
I know it’s been done before multiple times on every news website imagainable, but you’re about to read another opinion piece on President Donald Trump.
We are currently going through a pandemic as the novel coronavirus has spread throughout the world and is now in the course of affecting the United States. But let’s flashback to late February when this virus was riddling through China and other various countries.
At a North Charleston, South Carolina rally, Trump made remarks about the Democrats, accusing the party of “politicizing” the situation. Afterwards, he called the virus the party’s “new hoax.”
This was one of the starting points for Trump that goes even farther back to a Jan. 22 interview on CNBC with host Joe Kernen. When asked by Kernen if he is worried by the threat of the coronavirus becoming a pandemic, he said “No, not at all.” He later said the country has it “totally under control” and “it’s going to be just fine.”
So why is it on Mar. 17 he claimed he knew it was “a pandemic, long before it was called a pandemic,” even though just a couple months before he said the opposite? True answer: I don’t know. I can write a whole analysis on the psyche of President Trump, but that’s not what the focal point is.
Politics have been a polarizing subject since it’s conception but the seriousness of the situation is more than a two-party system. Instead of attacking the Democratic party, take the necessary precautionary measures to secure the country from having a total outbreak. Unfortunately, it’s got to that.
According to the CDC, there have been over 160,000 cases and almost 3,000 deaths due to COVID-19, or as Trump calls it, “The Chinese Virus.”
While we can ponder on the what if, what’s happening now and how is Trump responding to the crisis? He’s taking action as any competent person in power would do, but it seems he can’t stop not telling the truth.
Just tuning in to any press conference about the coronavirus, you can see the President verbally attack any reporter that tries to rehash any claims that he has said in the past.
Trump and Gov. Andrew Cuomo have been having an on-and-off relationship during the response to the pandemic. According to USA Today, Cuomo and other Democrats have told Trump to call in the Defense Production Act which would require companies to expand production of the equipment necessary to help patients and the city, but he won’t budge.
Speaking of calling out governors, on May 8, he questioned the way California Gov. Gavin Newsome was handling the reopen of the state.
“I’ve looked at a couple of states that are being absolutely ridiculous, but ultimately, the people are forcing it, I see what’s going on,’’ Trump said. “And Gavin Newsom has been very generous to me in his statements, and I appreciate it. But, you know, I think they can move a little quicker in California, to be honest.
What’s interesting about the statement is that the governor of California and President Trump have been praising each other in their own ways of handling with the novel coronavirus.
First things first, states shouldn’t rush to reopen. This is another example of Trump trying to rewrite history in his own terms even with the pandemic going on in the background. Not only is he reckless in the lead up to the quarantine period, but having the mentality of the virus “wearing down,” is very ignorant. There’s a difference to take this process gradually than to rush when millions of more lives are at stake.
But one has to question the “ignorance” of Trump and his administration. The news that came out on May 8 about white house officials burying CDC reports on reopening the country is worrisome.
According to USA Today, the document titled “Guidance for Implementing the Opening Up America Again Framework,” was researched and written to “help faith leaders, business owners, educators and state and local officials as they begin to reopen. It included detailed ‘decision trees,’ or flow charts aimed at helping local leaders navigate the difficult decision of whether to reopen or remain closed.”
So what has the Trump administration’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic been? We already mentioned rewriting history in his image, but is he also focusing on gaining the trust of the American citizens for his reelection campaign in November? Like every Trump decision, it’s hard to say what the thought process is.
All in all, it’s sad to see our commander in chief do a less than stellar job through a time of difficulty. Politics aside, we’re all on the same team, and we’re losing teammates by the day.
