Comment typifies president’s attitude

Donald Trump has made many foolish and intemperate statements since being elected, but his response to a question posed by Axios reporter Jonathan Swan says it all. In response to being asked what he was going to do about the continued enormous spread of coronavirus and the rising death rate, then over 160,000, Trump just said, “It is what it is.”

This comment came along with Trump bemoaning Dr. Anthony Fauci’s popularity versus his own low ratings. Trump said, “No one likes me; maybe it is my personality.”

You think so? He is brash, obnoxious, arrogant and totally self-centered, just to name a few of the obvious parts of the

Trump personality. There appears to be no part of him that has any semblance of normal humanity — no sense of compassion, sympathy or feeling for the thousands that die each week as the result of the virus that he could have substantially contained.

Unfortunately, back in February, it would have required Trump to admit that we had a problem. Trump’s vanity and his belief that such an admission was acknowledgment of guilt resulted in his inaction. Death across America followed. If he had immediately attacked the virus, when he knew it existed, we would not be in such a serious mess today.

There is no one in the United States who has not suffered either financially or emotionally, or both, from virus fallout.

We now have thousands dead and still counting. Businesses are going under one after another, particularly smaller businesses that are the backbone of our economy. Unemployment is rampant. The court system is essentially closed and has been since the middle of March, leaving hundreds of people in limbo either with civil or criminal cases.

The final blow for a lot of people has yet to hit. Evictions and foreclosures have been suspended temporarily but before too long that will become another major problem faced by those who have lost their jobs or seen their incomes diminished as a result of the unchecked virus.

So, when Trump says, “It is what it is,” he is discouraging, thoughtless, but oh so typical. He still tries to act like a king, blaming the media for his woes, lying and finding nasty ways to punish anyone who speaks out against him.

It all will come crashing down around him in several months. Deservedly so.

Trump has waiting for him charges for tax and insurance fraud being vigorously pursued by Cy Vance Jr., the Manhattan district attorney. I have no doubt that criminal acts will be uncovered. I will take no joy in hearing cries of “lock him up” echoing in the halls of justice. He is a stain on democracy in America.

If Trump loses the election, he will no longer have a “special defenses” to be raised and he will have to answer for his misdeeds. Too bad. It is what it is.