Trump is not in control, Covid-19 dashing his plans

Rude. Downright rude. It was the pits on Monday evening as US President Donald Trump raged at journalists who grilled him for more than an hour as he went into a meltdown. It may have pleased his supporters but did nothing to prove the administration was on top of the situation. It’s true that the United States snapped aviation links to China and Europe early on in the crisis, but the system was largely unprepared for a pandemic of this scale. But, for Trump, Monday’s presser was part of the show ahead of elections in November. Campaign rallies have been cancelled and the president is using every opportunity to make his foes hate him more and convert his supporters to unthinking and unquestioning fanatics. This was his stage and he was milking it for everything that it was worth. He has his work cut-out in this campaign and the economy has gone into a tailspin as the Covid-19 causing coronavirus wrecks havoc on American lives and livelihoods. But, for the president, this was about getting the economy moving again, at the cost of lives. The United States is now the centre of the pandemic that began in China last year with more than 23,000 deaths and close to 600,000 infections.

Trump, for most part of his life, has obsessed about the pursuit of profit. He’s made a hash of it in many of his business ventures in real estate yet considers himself a billionaire thanks to help from his father. We are not saying the president is profiteering from the pandemic but he is in a hurry to get people working again which may prove disastrous. He wants his supporters to know that he is in control when he is not. Trump is no match for the virus, he cannot predict which direction it will take or who it will infect next. He’s up against a foe he cannot fight and win. It’s a fight between unequals, perhaps the biggest battle of his life and career. It could further soil his abrasive legacy if rushes people back to work and into the arms of the coronavirus that doesn’t differentiate between rich and poor, black and white, weak or strong. Any hasty decision to open the economy could imperil the health of millions of American citizens and keep the virus active. The focus should be to take it off the streets by ensuring people stay indoors. The administration hasn’t been able to enforce discipline in American society because it took the threat lightly. And when it hit hard, hospitals were swamped, life-saving equipment was inadequate and innocent people suffered. It will take a while to revive the economy but health must be the priority and this is where the president is going against medical advice and doing his ‘I am in control’ gig that is convincing no one who cares for their lives. His my way or the highway is the road to damnation and the sooner he curbs his so-called business instincts, the better for the health of the average American who is suddenly facing record joblessness and an uncertain future after two years of relative prosperity, though the president’s opponents would vehemently disagree and dispute. But this coronavirus has made the world look small. This is an unprecedented crisis that demands Americans retreat to their homes until the threat backs off. The president’s rush to send people to work is, therefore, is foolhardy. The coronavirus has little respect for the economy, for business, and more importantly, the president himself.