Landing the Bad Boy: A Review of ‘I Alone Can Fix It’

The year 2020 will be remembered for three major events: the COVID-19 pandemic, the murder of George Floyd that sparked protests and unrest, and the general election.

Globally the pandemic was and continues to be an insidious health crisis resulting in millions of lives lost. In addition, the U.S. confronted once again the quest for racial justice with a demand for reform in how the police interact with people of color. And the lead-up to the 2020 presidential election, the election itself and the tumultuous aftermath placed the United States at the precipice of losing its democratic traditions and democracy itself.

At the heart of these events, President Donald Trump played a key and massive role in how the country would respond to the first two crises and how he literally created the third one.  All were dangerous.

In their book, I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year, Pulitzer Prize winning reporters from the Washington Post Carol Leonnig and Phillip Rucker present a chilling and at times horrifying account of how President Trump mishandled, exacerbated or created these crises. The title is derived from a statement President-elect Trump gave at the Republican National Convention in 2016 whereby he told his faithful that nobody knows the system better than he does, and, therefore, “I alone can fix it.”

In their previous best seller in 2020, the authors used another well-known Trump phrase, “A Very Stable Genius” as their title. Should they pen additional books about this presidency, there is a plethora of Trump phrases to draw from.

Speaking of lifting phrases, I used the title of this review from a chapter title “Landing the Bad Boy” later in the book.  Referring to the drama, frayed nerves and mounting fears leading up to the 2021 inauguration and the determination to have a peaceful transition of power, one senior official was quoted in the book as saying, “We’ve got an aircraft, our landing gear is stuck, we’ve got one engine, and we’re out of fuel. We’ve got to land this bad boy.”

Keeping to a chronological format, Ms. Leonnig and Mr. Rucker present the behind-the-scenes machinations of the Trump administration as it courses through its fourth year beginning with the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic through the inauguration of Joe Biden.

While many of us have witnessed Trump’s behavior and character flaws in real time through his tweets, press briefings, appearances on Fox News and other platforms and have read previous accounts of his presidency and personality in other books, I Alone Can Fix It offers a chronicle that stems not from a single person or a few persons but dozens of eyewitnesses to history being made before their very eyes (and ears).

The authors gleaned from hundreds of hours of interviews with more than 140 sources including those at the highest levels of the Trump administration. Various sources spoke on the record while others spoke candidly on the condition of anonymity as the authors note, “to share private accounts of moments that profoundly challenged or shook them, to protect future careers, or to fend off retaliation from Trump or his allies.” Some of the information stemmed from the authors' own reporting for the Washington Post as well as that of other journalists.

And as Pulitzer Prize journalists do as a matter of routine, they fact-checked and verified the accounts from their sources. There are scores of referenced notes to back up the accounts. In other words, what is portrayed in I Alone Can Fix It is extremely credible. The authors do not offer their own opinions; they present these accounts often from people with direct knowledge of the situation.

Throughout the book, Trump’s well-documented personality defects are exposed, again not by the authors themselves but by the subjects of their interviews. His ever-frequent demonstrations of victimhood, grievance, oversized ego, narcissism, inability to tell the truth, lack of empathy and revenge supplement the narrative. Trump’s transactional nature is his state of nature. He saw the COVID crisis as more of a threat to his re-election than the public health crisis it truly is. Everything, and I mean everything, was seen through the lens of his political fortunes.

The book highlights Trump’s interactions with his underlings and advisors, such as Chief of Staff Mark Meadows and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs Mark Milley. He had strained relationships with Dr. Deborah Birx, Dr. Anthony Fauci and Alex Azar among others on the pandemic front. They didn’t buy into Trump’s happy talk about the virus magically disappearing. However, the book contains praise for Trump on pushing for the accelerated manufacturing of a vaccine while there were scathing condemnations on everything else related to the president’s handling of the pandemic.

Trump’s relationship with AG William Barr was solid until Barr refused to relent on Trump’s demands to send federal troops to respond to Black Lives Matter protesters. And it worsened when Barr would not pressure certain states to review the results of their elections. Despite a fawning, disgraceful ass-kiss of a resignation letter to Trump, Barr was on the outs.

The same could be said for the four years of servitude and sychophancy by Vice President Mike Pence. His refusal to reject the certification of the Electoral College tallies led to a chilly end to their relationship. During the siege on January 6, Trump never inquired about the safety of Pence after he attacked him on Twitter during the insurrection.

The dynamics between Milley and Trump were almost a core part of the book. Milley was determined to not permit the military to be deployed to quell civil unrest and was adamant about not allowing the military to be involved in the electoral process. This back and forth between the two and the thought processes between Milley and Defense Secretary Mark Esper and other trusted individuals were among the most revealing episodes contained the book.

Milley feared that Trump would use the military to stage a coup. “They may try, but they’re not going to fucking succeed. You can’t do this without the military. You can’t do this without the CIA and the FBI. We’re the guys with the guns,” he said.

They were also concerned Trump would try to launch a war against Iran in his final days. 

The portions of I Alone Can Fix It relating to the election are particularly poignant. The drama unfolding on election night is described in vivid detail. Trump’s refusal to accept the results, promulgating “the big lie” that the election was stolen, and his futile battles in dozens of courts led by the hapless Rudy Giuliani held your attention.

And the authors’ account of the harrowing experience of the January 6 insurrection and that critical period between that assault on our Capitol and the inauguration is loaded with palpable tension and hand-trembling fear. Even though we all witnessed it and will continue to see what transpired, the book effectively conveys the horrors of the event, the incitement of the riot based on that big lie, and how close democracy in the U.SA was in peril.

 I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year is an extraordinary work for the ages. History will find that this book accurately chronicled this last nerve-wracking year of this nerve-wracking Trump presidency. 

It's a fast read and a must read.

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I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump’s Catastrophic Final Year; Carol Leonnig and Phillip Rucker; published by Penguin Press; 2021; 527 pages plus reference notes and index; hardcover - ISBN: 9780593298947; ebook – ISBN: 9780593298954; international edition – ISBN: 9780593300626

The Republicans' Idea of Unity

I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy. I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real. But I also know they are not new.—President Joe Biden from his Inaugural Address, Jan. 20, 2021

As a candidate Joe Biden made unity the centerpiece of his campaign to the chagrin of the left wing of the Democratic Party. It helped win over Trump-opposing Republicans, independents and suburban women in his quest to get elected. Though so many have been skeptical of the prospect of unifying such a divided country especially after the past four years, the concept of unity was the principal theme in Mr. Biden’s inaugural address.

Merely hours after the inaugural festivities, truncated as they were due to the pandemic and security concerns, Republicans across the board demonstrated they are not having any of it. A reporter from a right wing media outlet asked the new and refreshingly competent press secretary Jen Psaki if the Democrats are ready to extend an olive branch to the Republicans in the name of unity.The Democrats need to offer an olive branch to Republicans? What a joke!

Maybe if the overwhelming majority of Republicans in the House of Representatives and a handful of senators would acknowledge that Joe Biden won the election fair and square (which he did), that would be a good first step in unifying the country. Recall how over 150 of these legislators objected to the certified election results in several states and that was AFTER the insurrection at the Capitol on January 6.

Let’s also look at sore loser Trump’s behavior following the election. Through the moment he fled to Florida on January 20 as a disgraced twice impeached president, he never publicly mentioned Joe Biden’s name, never acknowledged he lost to Biden, delayed the crucial transition period, failed to cooperate during the transition and in fact, created unnecessary barriers, didn’t welcome Biden in the White House to confer as has been a long standing tradition, and refused to attend the inauguration. What an example of sportsmanship Trump sets for our young people!

Then there’s that pesky matter of a Trump-incited insurrection on our government with the express intent to thwart the peaceful transfer of power and to harm or even kill the first and second persons in the succession. That’s called sedition.

This incitement by urging a frothing, violent, angry mob of white supremacists and other pro-Trump believers to “take back our country” whereby they stormed and ransacked the Capitol earned Trump his second impeachment. Now Republicans, such as Trump supplicant Lindsey Graham, are pleading for the Senate to not try Trump on this article of impeachment if the Democrats want to truly unify.

Yes, Democrats should look the other way and not hold Trump accountable for his attempt to overthrow the government. They should move on. Republicans who advocate this dereliction of duty should be reminded that 5 people lost their lives as a result of the riot.

That’s one more life lost than the Benghazi raid that killed 4 Americans in Libya. Republicans didn’t move on. They held some 10 hearings on the incident and dragged then Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to testify at one of these for 11 hours. For years, obsessed Republicans screamed Benghazi! Benghazi! Benghazi! over and over. But a violent attempted coup? Not so much. Let’s just move on.

We should never forget January 6. It should forever be memorialized as 9/11 has been. But this tragedy, this national disgrace, was perpetrated not by foreign jihadists but by misinformed and conspiracy theory-obsessed American citizens who were provoked by a deranged, lying and unpatriotic president, aided by his kooky attorney and two rogue overly ambitious senators and a number of equally seditious representatives.

Within hours of the inauguration, Republicans and their agents on right wing media mocked Biden’s call for unity. The hashtag #ImpeachBidenNow trended on Twitter. Mitch McConnell already began playing games to hold off on finalizing his minority leader status and jeopardizing COVID relief legislation. Unity appears to be an elusive goal especially if it is not in the political interests of Republicans.

It’s a no-brainer for an incoming president especially from a different political party who had previously occupied the White House to ask for unity. And like he said, it could be seen as a foolish fantasy.

A degree of unity could only work if both sides are willing to pull together. One would think that the pandemic that kills Americans regardless of political affiliation would finally bring us collectively to fight the disease as a matter of patriotism.

President Biden’s realistic idea of unity is at least lowering the temperature of the rhetoric. The Republican idea of unity, however, is for Democrats to capitulate to their whims and take no actions to offend that perennially angry Republican base, who for the most part see Mr. Biden as an illegitimate president.

Toby's is Back 'Home for the Holidays'

After eight months of being shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic, Toby’s the Dinner Theatre of Columbia is bringing back live theatre at just the right time when we all could use a little cheer. And they're doing so with an abundance of  caution.

The musical revue, Home for the Holidays, celebrates the season with classic and popular Christmas tunes—all of them it seems—with a Chanukah and Kwanzaa song in the mix for good measure in a festive and colorful setting. 

There are substantive changes to the in-the-round theater to deal with the coronavirus but the level of entertainment hasn’t missed a beat during the hiatus. Toby’s has adhered to state and county guidelines to assure the health and safety of their employees and patrons. The theatre will have a reduced capacity audience of 90 or less guests per performance with socially distanced table seating and mask requirements.

Patrons are screened as they enter the theater and hand sanitizers are available. The audience is required to continue to wear masks during the performance and exit the theater according to section. 

Toby’s famous buffet has been temporarily replaced with plated menu dinner service (the quality of the food and presentation remain high). Seating throughout the theater has been adjusted to allow for recommended distancing between tables, which will not be shared by other parties.  

To further protect the patrons, there is a no contact menu system whereby a QR code on each table is available to be scanned on a phone. The menu can also be viewed online. 

“It was a challenge but I made sure that the performers remain distanced from each other and the audience at all times,” said Helen Hayes Award winner Mark Minnick, who adroitly directed and choreographed Home for the Holidays. Each performer wears a plexiglass face shield to enhance safety.

View here for more details about the Covid-19 protocols employed by Toby’s.

The lively production is fast paced and joyful with so many familiar songs, you cannot help but sing along. “Deck the Halls,” “Jingle Bells,” "We Wish You a Merry Christmas," "Oh Holy Night," "Angels We Have Heard on High," Up on the Housetop," "Toyland" and "Go Tell it on the Mountain" are just a few of the dozens of numbers sung with a little dancing to add to the delight.

Performing these songs with each showcasing their vocal prowess in both solos and group numbers are audience favorites from the Toby’s family including Heather Beck, MaryKate Brouillet, Crystal Freeman, David James, DeCarlo Raspberry, Jeffrey Shankle, Janine Sunday Russell Sunday, Taylor Washington and AJ Whittenberger.

David Hopkins’ designed set is festive with all sorts of clever Christmas decorations and props including Santa’s sleigh. A façade creatively covered by wrapped Christmas presents is a standout. The lighting, also designed by Mr. Hopkins, is imaginative and colorful adding mightily to the holiday atmosphere.

Costume Designer Janine Sunday fitted the ensemble cast with a wide array of costumes from chipmunks and elves, to Santas and novelty suits, 19^th century attire for some of the classics to formal gowns for the ladies and suits for the gentlemen.  #hocoarts

Nathan Scavilla was at the keyboard and conducted the three-piece orchestra the night I attended this performance and did a sterling job especially given the rapid pace of the numbers.

The protocols that Toby’s implemented does not detract from the superb performances in any fashion. The holiday cheer and pure entertainment from Home for the Holidays provide a soothing respite from a tense and horrible year. Composer and lyricist Jerry Herman was prescient when he wrote, “We need a little Christmas…right this very minute!”

Seating is limited, so hurry to buy tickets as this show is perfect fun for the whole family.

Running time: One hour and 40 minutes with an intermission.

Home for the Holidays will play through January 3, 2021 at Toby’s, the Dinner Theatre of Columbia, 5900 Symphony Woods Road, Columbia, MD 21044.  Tickets can be purchased by calling the box office at 410-730-8311 or by visiting ticketmaster.com. The next show, Godspell, will open January 8. 

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Photos: Jeri Tidwell Photography 

Why Trump's Reelection Strategy is a Riot

It took a while, but President Donald Trump finally found the shiny object he was seeking. With polls showing him losing to Democratic rival Joe Biden, Trump desperately sought to change the subject from his catastrophic response to COVID-19 to something else. He found it with the protests that had erupted stemming from yet another unarmed black man shot by police.  #hocopolitics

To be sure, Trump’s supposed management of the pandemic, which has killed nearly 190,000 Americans and counting, has been a complete failure. From scuttling the Obama-Biden plan for dealing with a potential pandemic, to denying coronavirus’ existence, to calling it a hoax, to claiming it would magically disappear, to politicizing masks, to a lack of a national testing strategy, to rejecting scientific and medical expertise, to bizarrely silencing Dr. Anthony Fauci, Jr., to the U.S. leading the world in fatalities, to blaming everyone else but him, registered voters overwhelmingly disapproved of his response.  

Trump initially assumed the coronavirus was a blue state problem until he was stunned by learning it has spread to rural America—Trump country. For good measure, his son-in-law Jared Kushner fought the development of a nationwide testing strategy believing the coronavirus impacted blue states more and that team Trump could blame Democratic governors..

Moreover, Trump falsely claimed he saved hundreds of thousands if not millions of lives with the “great job” he was doing. That’s akin to saying he saved over 300 million American lives by not nuking our country. In an open and fair election, Trump was clearly on the path to lose and he knew it.

Then came the brutal murder of George Floyd at the hands of members of the Minneapolis Police Department and the worldwide protests that ensued.  Instead of calling for social justice to end the stench of racism that exists in many police departments and to embark on a journey towards healing, Trump focused on the arson and looting that accompanied what were overwhelmingly peaceful demonstrations until police and other provocateurs raised the temperature.

Clashes with protesters have continued on and off for months in Portland, OR, and a new hot spot in Kenosha, WI. emerged with the shooting of Jacob Blake by another police officer leaving Mr. Blake paralyzed.

These events and others gave Trump the opportunity to turn the page on COVID-19 (indeed, speakers at the Republican National Convention acted as if the pandemic was history) and blame Democratic-led cities for being incapable of squashing the “violence.” In Portland Trump dispatched unidentified cammo-wearing agents to clash with and arrest the protesters.  

Inspired by Trump’s complete disregard for police reform and instead his zeroing in on the protesters who he describes as “rioters”, right wing militia groups saw themselves as the only force standing between chaos in the streets of America and law and order.

What could possibly go wrong?

Well, it did. A 17 year-old Trump and avid police supporter, Kyle Rittenhouse, traveled from Illinois to Kenosha, just 20 miles away carrying a military-style assault weapon under the guise of protecting local businesses from destruction. He had been joined by other far-right extremists including “boogaloo bois.” During a melee, young Rittenhouse shot and killed two protesters and injured a third.

Though he was charged for murder, rather than condemning the killings, Trump sided with Rittenhouse because, obviously, he was a Trump supporter. He suggested he acted in self-defense as the youth’s lawyer contends. In doing so, Trump put his fingers on the scale of justice.

All this is adding up to a clear reelection strategy. Trump cannot run on the hard-hit economy in which his failed pandemic response created. He certainly can’t run on his character, or foreign policy as we are now the laughing stock of the world. On top of that, he is solidly in the history books as an impeached president.

So he works up his base into a lather by stoking racism and fear. He inspires and encourages “his people” to act where Democratic leaders are incapable of doing. And he defends them as “peaceful protesters” never mind that they are often heavily armed. Trump repeatedly said Biden’s America would devolve into ruins ignoring the fact the unrest is taking place on his watch.

Crazily Trump blames protest violence on people in “dark shadows” and conjures up an old conspiracy theory stating there are planes filled with “thugs” in black uniforms that descended on Washington. He compared the shooting in Kenosha by police officer to a golfer missing an easy putt.  Wow!

For his part, Joe Biden presented an eloquent alternative view of the situation. In a speech delivered on August 21 in Pittsburgh, Biden condemned Trump’s actions.

“Fires are burning and we have a president who fans the flames, rather than fighting the flames,” Biden said in his speech. “But we must not burn. We have to build. This president long ago forfeited any moral leadership in this country. He can't stop the violence because for years he’s fomented it.”

And that, sadly, will be the norm over the next 60-plus days. Calling for law and order after he incites rioting is Trump’s only strategy left.

Courtesy of The Lincoln Project

Is Trump TRYING to Lose?

Even with President Trump's failed and catastrophic response to COVID-19, the accompanying severe economic downturn, his numerous character flaws, his blatant racism, his corruption, lying, tweeting, psychopathic narcissism, misogyny, incompetence, grifting, lack of empathy, and the politicization of wearing masks, he was still in a competitive race with Joe Biden though trailing in all of the polls. If all of the Trump stars aligned, however, he still could pull it off.  #hocopolitics

What he lacks in skills and character, he makes up for it with bluster, self-confidence and hubris. Trump believes that he has the best political instincts (along with having hired the best people, attending the best schools and knowing the best words). Yet, recent self-inflicted miscues have called into question those instincts or leaving one to speculate if he is actually trying to lose.

For example:

Trump’s sabotaging of the Postal System: Our U.S. Postal Service, should never be considered a red or blue issue. It’s a red, white and blue institution, enshrined in our Constitution.  His newly installed Postmaster General GOP donor crony Louis DeJoy has begun the dismantling of the infrastructure of the postal system in several ways including removing and trashing high-speed canceling machines, rolling back overtime and removing outdoor mailboxes. These measures have resulted in significant delays in delivering mail and packages.

Clearly, DeJoy was under the direction of Trump to impair the handling of mail as the president has continually hammered away at mail-in ballots as being rife with fraud with not a shred of evidence to back it up. Under the guise of restoring fiscal solvency to the postal system, the timing of these moves less than three months away from the election is suspicious to say the least.

Trump publicly admitted such a strategy. “[Democrats] want $25 billion for the post office. Now they need that money in order to have the post office work, so it can take all of these millions and millions of ballots. Now in the meantime they aren’t getting there. By the way, those are just two items, but if they don’t get those two items, that means you can’t have universal mail-in voting, because they’re not equipped to have it.”

All Americans regardless of political party rely on the mail. It is revered by society, and the institution boasts an approval rating north of 90%. People depend on receiving medications, checks, subscriptions and the like and do not want this vital service weakened. Disabled veterans as well as others need medications that are often received through the mail. And the postal service employs over 90,000 U.S. veterans. That veteran organizations haven’t expressed their collective outrage is astounding. Moreover, mail is particularly vital in rural areas where most of the folks are Trump supporters. People like to receive their mail on time. So do small businesses. They like the postal system. This has been a political fiasco.

Trying to flatten Goodyear tires: Trump made an ill-advised move urging people not to buy Goodyear tires because the company does not permit workers to wear political campaign garb including MAGA hats. Despite lecturing Democrats for having a cancellation culture, Trump decided his fragile ego needed workers to demonstrate their love for him with donning his famous red caps.

Joe Biden gets it and fired off the following statement in response: “Goodyear employs thousands of American workers, including in Ohio, where it is headquartered. To President Trump, those workers and their jobs aren’t a source of pride, just collateral damage in yet another one of his political attacks.”

Ohio is a key swing state, and Trump cannot win the election without Ohio. Those employees whom Trump is trying to put out of work and others similarly in the manufacturing sector have families, friends and neighbors who may not want to vote for Trump after this boondoggle.

Welcome QAnon! Donald Trump will embrace anyone who likes him. Whether it is the neo-Nazis, KKK or brutal dictators and tyrants, if you like Trump or say nice things about him that’s all that matters. Another political loser has been Trump’s welcoming QAnon into the fold. QAnon is a group that has been identified by the FBI as a domestic extremist group. They traffic in bizarre conspiracy theories including the doozy that Democrats are Satan-worshippers and children-devouring pedophiles.

Undaunted, Trump supported and congratulated congressional candidate Republican Marjorie Taylor Greene who won a primary in Georgia and is likely to enter the mainstream by being elected to Congress despite her QAnon devotion. For instance, she had suggested that Hillary Clinton murdered her political enemies and ruminated on whether mass shootings were orchestrated to dismantle the Second Amendment.

QAnon members have reportedly engaged in violence and kidnappings. Trump said he knew nothing about the group (of course) but that they like him and they love our country. He refused to disavow the group and when told about their conspiracy theories and that they see Trump as a hero and savior in the war against pedophiles (oh, the irony!), Trump replied, “Is that supposed to be a bad thing?”

Several Republicans from former Florida Governor Jeb Bush to Representative Liz Chaney to strategist Karl Rove lambasted QAnon.

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse saw the political danger of Trump’s embracing QAnon.

“If Democrats take the Senate, blow up the filibuster, and pack the Supreme Court — garbage like this will be a big part of why they won,” Sasse said. “Real leaders call conspiracy theories conspiracy theories.”

Lowering the bar on Joe: For the past several months Trump and his Republican cohorts could not successfully defend the president’s record so they attack their opponent Joe Biden. One of the avenues of attack is to paint Biden as a doddering old man who doesn’t know which side is up and cannot string two sentences together.

At the climax of the well-executed Democratic National Convention, Biden delivered arguably his best political speech, thus nullifying at least for now, Trump’s characterization of “Sleepy Joe” or “Slow Joe.” The contrast from expectation to actual was so stark, it made Biden extraordinary and Trump completely foolish.

These are examples of Trump’s political self-inflicted wounds, but with the Republican National Convention coming up, I imagine there will be a bunch more. It will beg the question, is he trying to lose?

Trump's Leadership Takes You Back to the Land of Oz

Trump's leadership during the Coronavirus pandemic lacks intellect,
courage and heart.

As we watch the President Trump’s daily monotone, lie-filled campaign rally disguised as a Coronavirus press briefing, it is remarkable how his reaction to and the handling of the virus parallels the characters in the classic film The Wizard of Oz. While that story was a fictionalized fantasy, the current situation is serious and deadly with no end in sight. Yet, it is hard to escape the comparisons.

There was the Scarecrow who lacked a brain. Trump has a brain to be sure, but he has not utilized it the way the leader of the free world should. He pretends he is capable of offering medical advice and touting drugs and other therapeutics that have no scientific basis for success. In fact, they are considered dangerous. 

And his brain failed him again when he pushed to “re-open the country” to further death and hardship against the best medical advice by experts and the better judgment of most of the country’s governors.  Most recently he offered the astoundingly stupid suggestion of injesting disinfectants to fight off the virus.#hocopolitics

There was the Lion who lacked courage. This deficiency is manifested by Trump’s declination of responsibility while blaming others, such as Democratic governors who are “complainers” as opposed to Republican governors who are “doing a great job,” the World Health Organization, President Obama, and the media among others.

The lack of courage also shows up while Trump demonstrates an unwillingness or incapability of telling the truth.  His first misstep was to deny the existence of the pandemic and in his true divisive style called it “another Democratic hoax,” even after he was warned about it by his own administration including intel organizations.

Then in an attempt to quiet the nervous stock market, he downplayed the severity of the outbreak. 

 “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” 

"Looks like by April, you know, in theory, when it gets a little warmer, it miraculously goes away.” 

“It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”   

He has consistently lied about the readiness of the country for dealing with the pandemic and the availability of testing and personal protective equipment for the front line medical workers who are toiling to save American lives as they risk their own. Trump has overstated the work his administration has accomplished and congratulates himself almost on a daily basis by falsely claiming the great job he has done. The lies and misinformation spewed from these briefings are breathtaking. 

Finally, there was the Tin Man who lacked a heart. Whenever there has been a tragic moment in Trump’s presidency (Charlottesville, Parkland shooting, wildfires and natural weather disasters especially his disgusting response to Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico as examples), Trump has shown an incredible lack of empathy towards the victims.

Saying repeatedly that we are doing better than other countries is small consolation to all those families and friends of those who perished from COVID-19.

I cannot recall a single time during the Coronavirus briefings when Trump convincingly and sincerely expressed his compassion for not only the victims of this pandemic but also for the courageous work of the healthcare professionals.

Trump holding notes during his empathy-deficient listening session
following the Parkland mass shooting.

He doesn’t seem to grasp the magnitude of the loss and believes so many more lives would be lost if he did nothing. 

Then what about the over 50,000 lives lost since COVID-19 first surfaced in the U.S. when he was made aware? Think about that. If the average baseball stadium was filled to capacity and included standing room only, every single person in that packed ballpark represents an American death due to COVID-19. That is a lot of people for the president to be patting himself on the back.

As mentioned earlier, he treats these briefings as campaign rallies brimming with self-congratulatory hyperbole, touting his TV ratings, comparing the crowd size at the Mall in D.C. last 4^th of July with the Martin Luther King “I have a dream” speech from 1963, ripping Democrats every chance he can, doing absolutely nothing to unite the country as all other presidents have done in previous crises, and more.

“He has failed abysmally in that and he has also failed just in the notion of what he’s telling people. Saying liberate - free Michigan, Virginia. Encouraging people to come out and trying to turn this health crisis into a political rally for himself,” said Sen. Elizabeth Warren on MSNBC.

“That is absolutely the wrong kind of leadership. It is the kind of leadership that puts lives at risk, and it is the kind of leadership that undermines the very strength of this country.”

This lack of intellect, courage and empathy has proven to be dangerous. This is, of course, far more serious than the imagined dream in The Wizard of Oz. Trump reminds me of those characters, though, but based on his leadership or lack thereof, he’s certainly not a wizard.