Trump’s failings as leader highlighted by growing death toll
AS the coronavirus continues to spiral out of control, the coming days in America will be like Pearl Harbor or a “light at the end of the tunnel”, depending on who you believe.
On one side you have a team of the world’s leading experts, on the other ... the world’s greatest liar.
While America’s top doctors believe a face mask can save lives, cheerleader-in-chief Donald Trump says it is entirely optional and not fit for a president.
When the President manages to break away from personal protection advice, he resorts to promoting the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine as a miracle cure, while his clinical advisors warn it is unproven. You see, for Trump Covid-19 is the gift that keeps on giving.
Never before has he had so much air time in which to promote himself – at a time when the White House briefings should be about others. The daily broadcasts are to Trump what candy is to a kid.
Instead of providing clear direction in the hope of saving thousands of lives, the US leader instead uses the platform to boast about his television ratings and being number one on Facebook (another lie).
“I want to come way under the models,” he said, referring to infection projections. “The professionals did the models. I was never involved in a model.
“At least this kind of model,” he added.
Why let thousands of your voters’ deaths get in the way of a bit of X-rated humour, hey?
The briefings provide this slippery salesman, the master marketer, the overhyped hype man in the spotlight he craves.
Sadly for America, and particularly those who blindly support Trump, Covid-19 is a crisis he can’t sell, joke or cheer his way out of.
At a time when public co-operation is desperately needed to stop the spread of the disease, Trump’s leadership is itself lying in intensive care on a ventilator.
Only this week, he repeated lie upon lie about coronavirus testing, blaming the previous administration for any failings. He dismissed a critical report about hospital shortages of supplies and played down problems with his government’s bailout for business.
At the same time, his cronies issued a series of promises, predictions and prophecies that give the impression the virus is under control when, in fact, it is way off its peak here in the US.
His frat pack administration’s dishonesty has compounded the rate of escalation and the spiralling number of deaths.
As America braces itself for the worst of the crisis, unfortunately for the White House the spread of the virus here is no longer attributable to a foreign invasion or act of God but a monumental failure of leadership.
The country needed a President who could act quickly and effectively to roll out testing, distribute medical supplies and provide consistent messaging of important information.
Instead, Trump has been epically outmatched by a germ.
The months the White House blew with untruths about the threat and its subsequent failures have undoubtedly led to needless lives being lost. The President, as many doctors have said, has blood on his hands. Of course, Trump continues to defend his administration’s performance, describing it as “fantastic,” “incredible” and “great”. Yet the US has recorded more cases than any country around the globe and is on track to become the world leader in terms of the death toll. So come November, when the election is held, there must be a reckoning for the lives lost, and for the vast, avoidable suffering about to ensue under his watch.
Trump, the cheerleader? America, now more than ever, needs a quarterback.
PRINCE Andrew is facing a new American nightmare over his friendship with convicted paedophile Jeffrey Epstein. The Duke Of York, who has stood down from Royal duties over his relationship with the late sex offender, has been asked to give his view on his relations and information on Epstein to a cable network series.
Insiders say the 60-year-old, who previously spoke to the BBC’s Newsnight in a disastrous interview, was warned by lawyers to avoid further interviews. A US TV channel is putting together a four-part documentary series looking at Epstein’s life, business interactions and social circle.
Victims of the abusive multi-millionaire will speak on camera for the four-part documentary series. Lawyers for the channel always reach out to subjects of their programmes for comment or invite them to participate but the Duke, through his legal team, has refused. I’m not sure the producers of the new documentary will be entirely surprised.
The only appearance the Duke needs to make is the one before those US investigators refusing to let Epstein’s enablers escape justice.
On one side you have a team of the world’s leading experts, on the other ... the world’s greatest liar.