Trump uses dark rhetoric for big day
The United States has marked Independence Day at its lowest ebb in years. Covid-19 is surging in 36 states during a disastrous second wave of infections, putting hopes of an economic rebound at risk. Cases have jumped 90 per cent in two weeks, making the US a tragic exception among wealthy, developed nations.
And it is headed by a man out of his depth and unsuited to the moment, who puts pressure on political fault-lines for electoral advantage.
At Mt Rushmore, South Dakota, dwarfed by the faces of past presidents, Donald Trump delivered a partisan speech. Americans were divided into “they” and “our” and the President presented himself as a protector against “far-left fascism”.
As the US reached a record 57,000 daily coronavirus cases on Saturday, Trump made only a brief reference to the pandemic. Instead, at an event with no requirement for masks or social distancing, he focused on the Black Lives Matter protests and the push to remove Confederatelinked statues and symbols. It was a continuation of the “law and order” rhetoric of a month ago — despite his hammering in the polls since.
He said: “Our nation is witnessing a merciless campaign to wipe out our history, defame our heroes, erase our values . . . Angry mobs are trying to tear down statues of our founders.”
Trump added: “The radical ideology attacking our country advances under the banner of social justice. They want to silence us . . .”
As ever, Trump did the opposite of what a regular US leader would do. Any other recent president would have urged unity. They would have months ago placed themselves and Government resources at the centre of a federal effort to combat the virus.
Trump instead kept saying the virus would go away, left the states to handle it, incited his followers to push for early reopening, and influenced Republican state leaders to make that happen.
And he continues his wooing of just a section of the country to try to win re-election in November. Polls suggest Trump has lost at least some support from 2016 and needs to attract independents. Appealing to anti-immigration fears just before the 2018 Midterm elections did not work.
Trump’s inflexibility endangers health, the country’s standing and his re-election prospects. As the incumbent, he would be more competitive if he had been able to adapt and change his approach.
If in February, the US had started increasing production of medical protective equipment and ramping up testing capacity, followed by a nationwide mandatory lockdown in March, far fewer people would have died.
A tough lockdown would have brought case rates down and allowed the economy to reopen safely. It probably would have allowed Trump to enter the final stage of the campaign with improving economic data.
He cannot adjust to changing circumstances and clings to old strategies.
Unfortunately, it is one independence weekend where there is little to celebrate.
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