Robert Miller: Trump has met his match in the pandemic of 2020

To The Daily Sun,

A recent contributor regaled us with an inane letter fanaticizing on what the COVID-19 response would be under the leadership of Hillary Clinton. Why fanaticize, when real life changing scenarios are playing out before us on a daily basis?

For months, the POTUS dismissed the danger of the novel coronavirus. He shared little concrete information about the spreading pandemic, and much of what he did share was false. He claimed that he had no idea that the coronavirus was coming even though the CDC had been warning about it for months — was he lying or just ignorant? Getting most of his information from watching cable news, he ignored the health community, instead relying on his initial health team of Rush Limbaugh — “it’s only a cold,” and Shawn Hannity — “it’s a hoax.”

Nearly eight weeks after the first coronavirus case was reported in the United States, Trump conveyed that he at last recognized the magnitude of the crises. The president — who earlier promised “it will all go away” and advised Americans to “just relax”- —has suggested that the outbreak could last until July or August.

After a lifetime devoted to avoiding responsibility and accountability — for his lies, his deceptions, his hype, and his cruelty — Trump has met his match in the pandemic of 2020. His bluff and bluster are powerless as thousands of Americans die and the blame falls, in part, on his failure to heed the warnings and execute an immediate national response. Instead, Trump assured us that, “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming from China. It’s going to be just fine.”

Trump has shown a total lack of emotional intelligence and empathy, which causes him to struggle to relate to human suffering. He barely speaks of those stricken and killed by COVID-19. Instead, he obsesses over TV ratings and the economy as if his image in the media and the ups and downs of the Wall Street index matter more than life itself. In addition, businessman Trump exhibits his willful ignorance when he discounts expertise and elevates opinions supported by cherry-picked sources, such as Fox News, for his misinformation.

As we have learned, Trump is intolerant of dissent and finds it easier to demonize those with conflicting opinions rather than deal with facts, reality, or issues raised. In a concerted effort at “damage control,” he has recently cast himself as the wise leader, after initially portraying COVID-19 as a mere flu and arguing that life should go on as normal. A notable distortion of the broad story he was telling weeks ago — an audacious attempt to erase the memory of his ruthless efforts to suggest the coronavirus was not a crises.

We have to have national leadership right now — the country is crying out for and demanding it. We are looking for a leader who is able to communicate, inspire, empathize, take responsibility, and then mobilize every resource at are disposal. Trump is not that leader.

Robert Miller

Alton