Trump Rallies for Biden

The best thing that happened to Joe Biden as we near the end of this presidential campaign is Donald Trump and his ubiquitous rallies. At these super-spreader events—several per day over the past few weeks—thousands of mask-less followers are packed shoulder-to-shoulder to witness Trump making the case for Biden in real time.  #hocopolitics

No, Trump isn’t praising Joe. He’s not telling those potential victims and spreaders of Covid-19 that Biden is the best man for the job. What Trump is accomplishing at these rallies is reinforcing what most of the world already knows: he has been the most incompetent, out-of-touch and out-of-his-mind president this country has ever endured.

Every time Trump continues to minimize the impact of the pandemic by repeating “Covid…Covid…Covid” in an exasperated tone, every time he says the pandemic is over contrary to reality, every time he says “we’re rounding the turn,” every time he mocks those who wear masks, every time he pushes to open businesses and schools safety be damned, every time he refers to Dr. Anthony Fauci and other experts in the public health field as “idiots,” every time he says a vaccine will be available shortly, Trump hurls a 3-0 fastball down the middle of the plate so Joe can smack it out of the park.

To be sure, Biden has rightly focused his campaign on the coronavirus pandemic that is tragically heading towards the quarter million mark in U.S. deaths. The country has now hit spikes in cases that are higher than when the pandemic first spread in the country before stay-at-home mitigation efforts were underway. But Biden doesn’t need a prepared script at his events. All he has had to do is counter Trump’s inane assertions.

At his rallies Trump doesn’t express his vision for the next four years (mainly because he doesn’t have one). Instead, he echoes conspiracy theories and repeats his own personal grievances reflecting his paranoia and insecurities. He wastes everyone’s time re-litigating the 2016 election, pummeling our free press, makes false claims about the strong economy that the Obama administration handed him, and believes that running against Hunter Biden will gain him votes.

And then there’s the quest to attract suburban women voters. It’s been a disaster as he still sees women through the lens of the 1950’s. “Suburban women, please like me. I’ll get your husbands back to work.” If nothing else, he does provide a speck of comedy, unintentional as it may be.

Even the optics aren’t terrific. Scores of rally-goers in Omaha were literally left out in the cold with some hospitalized as the campaign failed to send buses to shuttle those folks back to their cars following the rally. Victims from the heat at a rally in Broward County, Florida, also needed medical care and hospitalization. So, when water was sprayed on the crowd to keep them cool, the perplexed Trump wondered out loud if those fire department personnel performing this task were “friend or foe.”

This embarrassing display for all to see is causing Trump to hemorrhage votes from suburban women and white college educated men. Moreover, the carelessness of his supporters by their not adhering to the Trump administration’s own health guidelines are likely adding to the surge in the coronavirus within their communities.

Donald Trump thrives on media coverage. That’s how he got elected in the first place. He has a pathological need to be the center of attention and command the daily news cycle. But Trump is no longer a novelty, a change from the ordinary politician. 

As he reflects upon his defeat, he may at some point wish his rallies during this campaign were never covered by the media and how they helped his opponent more than himself.

Trump's Handling of the Pandemic: Negligent Homicide

“Negligent homicide is the killing of another person through gross negligence or without malice…It is characterized as death caused by conduct that grossly deviated from ordinary care.” —USLegal

While the vast majority of negligent homicides are connected to the operation of motor vehicles, President Trump’s handling of the coronavirus appears to fit the definition.

From the outset, Trump has politicized the pandemic leading to U.S. deaths that have surpassed all other countries and recently set a U.S. record for new cases in one day with over 84,000.  

Hospitalizations are over 41,000 and deaths average nearly 800 per day. Sixteen states had record one-day increases in new cases on October 23 and 11 reported a record number of hospitalized COVID-19 patients, according to Reuters.

Trump played the coronavirus down, promised its quick disappearance, minimized its effects, called it a new Democratic hoax, blamed Democratic governors and accused the media of exaggerating the severity.

How did we arrive at this point? Trump publicly eschewed face masks and his loyal base followed suit.  When common sense and scientific-based guidelines were handed down from the Trump’s administration’s own Centers for Disease Control and Prevention urged the use of face masks when social distancing was not practical, Trump and his base ignored the guidelines with misplaced bravado and machismo and a display of utter foolishness. #hocopolitics

In March, when the pandemic was in its nascent stages, I posted a piece, “Even the Coronavirus Can’t Avoid the Political Divide,”   recognizing how politicized the coronavirus had unnecessarily become.  Sadly, the divide has continued to this day with no relief in sight.

We later learned from audio clips of interviews that were used for journalist Bob Woodward’s new book Rage, Trump was aware of the severity of the virus back in January. He knew that it was transmissible through the air. He knew that children were at risk, too. But he never shared this knowledge with the American people because, in his words, he didn’t want the people to panic.

What he meant is that he didn’t want to rattle the markets as the country was about to embark on stay-at-home orders, lockdowns and business closures to prevent further spread of the virus that in effect, forced a deep recession. The stock market was his key metric in providing a rationale for reelection. This assessment was advanced by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman in “How Many Will Die for the Dow?” 

Trump and his cronies saw the virus as a blue states issue with people of color being victims at a disproportionate rate. Knowing that, he simply didn’t care and refused to risk his reelection prospects for people who weren’t going to vote for him anyway. He offered up the possibility that injecting disinfectants would be an effective therapeutic. 

As we enter the 2^nd and 3^rd surge of the pandemic with the worst yet to come during the winter months, the spread has engulfed all the red states with some of those experiencing record-setting outbreaks. It’s a U.S. (and worldwide) problem, not just a blue state crisis as Trump and his Republican sycophants believed.

Accordingly, well over 220,000 died with an estimated 300,000 fatalities in the near future, and studies concluded that tens of thousands of deaths could have been avoided if the CDC safety measures were implemented two months earlier than they were. But Trump’s priority is clinging to power as he falsely claimed he himself saved over 2 million lives.

“We’re turning the corner.” “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.” “A vaccine is near.”  “It’s going away.” “I’m cured.” 

Though all of this could be a case for negligent homicide, what he has done since the Woodward revelations and his supposed contracting of Covid-19 solidifies the argument. Now with the election less than two weeks away, Trump is holding copious packed rallies with only those behind the podium wearing face coverings for the benefit of the TV cameras. The rest of the MAGA folks are not wearing them although 100,000 lives could be saved through February if 95 percent of Americans would wear masks in public, according to a new study. 

Most insidiously, Trump continues to mock the virus. “Covid, Covid, Covid,” he chants with exasperation at these rallies or what are likely to be super-spreader events. He is fatigued by the pandemic being the central issue of the election. Trump encourages his followers to be similarly annoyed as if the pandemic was unleashed upon him to thwart his reelection.

He gave up on dealing with the virus. Dr. Anthony Fauci stated that Trump hasn’t attended a coronavirus task force meeting in months. Instead, he obtains his guidance from a radiologist, a guest on Fox News who is pushing the concept of herd immunity.

Trump has no plan. By contrast, Joe Biden outlined a plan to reduce the spread and gradually open up the economy by listening to the science and experts.

Trump  maintains “We’re turning the corner.” “There’s light at the end of the tunnel.” “A vaccine is near.”  “It’s going away.” “I’m cured.” All of these are outright lies and more cases and deaths will ensue as his MAGA rally crowds will contract the virus and spread it around to their families and communities. It is completely selfish to hold such risky events during a pandemic.

Meanwhile, a Stamford University study found that Trump's rallies have led to 30,000 Covid cases and 700 deaths.

Trump lies and people die. And for that, he should be charged with negligent homicide. November 3 will serve as the day to hand down the indictment.

  

Why is This Race Even Close?

If you’re like me and received a degree in political science, you might as well rip it up.  All that you learned from your experience in college while majoring in poli-sci—the models, the theories, the trends, the paradigms, everything—has been turned upside down in this 2020 presidential election cycle.

We always believed that an incumbent president seeking reelection would defend his record and not do stupid stuff to create doubts. Yet, with Donald Trump, he has done and said many dumb things with some more serious than others. I pointed out some recent miscues here as if he was trying to lose. Still, he remained close in the polls. #hocopolitics

Throughout his term, he has been the recipient of bad press emanating from a host of tell-all books that have ripped Trump’s intellect, lack of curiosity, temperament, competence, judgment, honesty and a bevy of other flaws.  I cannot think of a case where an individual in the know wrote a flattering piece about Trump. They’ve all been scathing indictments from former administration officials, journalists, intelligence officials, his long-time personal lawyer, and even family members.  Still, he remains close in the polls.

Then came a stinging bombshell story in The Atlantic  whereby Trump reportedly denigrated wartime casualties and POWs as “losers” and “suckers.”  These remarks were essentially verified by several news outlets including Trump favorite Fox News. Trump’s denials as well as those from his allies rang hollow given his public disparagement of war hero and POW John McCain.

As for his defense by his press secretary and others in his administration, how would they know what he said or didn’t say unless they have been in his company 24/7?  Two people who did not step forward to defend Trump were notably former chief of staff General John Kelly and former Defense Secretary General James Mattis. How these revelations did not trigger outrage from veterans and POW/MIA groups is beyond me. I wonder how those on active duty with some serving in harm’s way felt after learning what their commander-in-chief allegedly said.  Still, he remains close in the polls.

Trump’s insufficient response to the COVID-19 pandemic will probably be the key issue during this cycle. We bore witness to his lack of seriousness and leadership as the coronavirus hit a second gear and triggered an economic calamity the likes of which the country has not seen in many decades. 

Recall, how he called the virus “the Democrats’ new hoax” and that it is under control and it will miraculously disappear. Trump played it down when he realized that the virus was targeting blue states and more specifically people of color. He scoffed at those who kept social distancing, wore masks and blasted mostly Democratic officials for not jumping in with two feet to re-open businesses and schools. They did so to help spread the virus further. Trump even suggested dubious and dangerous therapeutics like ingesting bleach. Still, he remains close in the polls.

Well, it hit the fan with the previews of famed journalist Bob Woodward’s book Rage, which is about to be made public. All the suspicions about Trump’s failures during the pandemic came to light, which have been backed up by audio of Trump’s own answers to questions covered by some 18 interviews with Woodward. Trump’s best retort is that the book is “fake,” failing to grasp that his own words were used and were damning. Still, he remains close in the polls.

Why, then, is the race so tight even though Joe Biden has held a steady lead? This isn’t 2016 when Trump was merely a TV star and failed businessman and was considered entertaining to some. His opponent had been reviled by the Republican hit machine for decades and couldn’t get from under the baggage she was carrying.

There isn’t that level of animosity towards Biden. Moreover, the Democratic Party is more unified given the imperative that Trump be defeated.

As opposed to 2016, Trump has a record, and it’s not very pretty. Yet, he remains close in the polls.

The answer seems to be that much of Trump’s unyielding support stems from the fact they hate the same people he does: African-Americans, the BLM movement, protesters,  immigrants especially Mexicans and Hispanics in general, Muslims, and liberal Democrats among others. Of course, there are others solidly in Trump’s camp but I believe that the bigoted MAGA folks are the core.  

Many supporters are QAnon conspiracy believers, coronavirus deniers, climate change deniers, and white supremacists.  They form the foundation of his base, and they are frothing at the mouth to see that Trump gets 4 more years.

With such a shoddy record, Trump should be way behind. But that’s under the old rules of politics. The country is deeply divided and few are undecided. The upcoming debates will be hyped and considered must-see TV.  Each side will claim victory though there aren’t that many persuadable voters remaining to make much of a difference either way. The fact check industry, however, should get a huge boost from Trump’s participation.

Like 2020, which has been the weirdest of years, one thing remains constant in this election cycle from how it was back in the day when I studied politics. This November’s election will be decided by who and how many actually vote. It’s that simple.

Trump’s Leadership Deficiency is Lethal

 “In periods where there is no leadership, society stands still.”—Harry S. Truman

President George W. Bush at Ground Zero

To be clear, I was never a fan of George W. Bush, and that’s putting it mildly. As President, I can barely count on one hand the number of times I agreed with him or thought he did something good for the country. But his leadership in the aftermath of the terrorist attacks in New York and Washington on September 11, 2001 stood out.  #hocopolitics

Three days later, while holding the shoulder of an elderly firefighter, Bush stood on top of some of the rubble left by the destruction of the twin towers. “I can hear you!” he declared, speaking into a bullhorn. “The rest of the world hears you! And the people – and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon.” The crowd reacted with loud, prolonged chants of “USA! USA!”

What President Bush accomplished in that seminal moment cannot be overstated. He brought an apprehensive America together the likes of which the country has not seen since World War II. It didn’t matter then if you were a Democrat or a Republican, Black or white, rich or poor, urban and rural, we were all Americans and we pulled together and gave President Bush full support at that time.

About 3,000 perished on that fateful day nearly 19 years ago. By contrast today, almost 140,000 have died from COVID-19 with 3 million positive cases in the country. Health officials are projecting fatalities to be a quarter million by November.

The statistics from these two crises in America do not represent the full contrast.  We have a president in Donald Trump who, unlike Mr. Bush, has sought to divide the country and demonstrate zero leadership when leadership is needed most. Rather than unify the country, Trump speaks essentially to his base. There was no national call-to-arms. It was a medley of self-congratulatory messages and exaggerated claims at the same time downplaying the virus’s severity.  He declined responsibility.

It was clear early on that this would be a divisive, politically-charged crisis as I had pointed out in March.

Trump fumbled the ball from the beginning by characterizing the coronavirus as “another Democratic hoax.” He reacted late, and lives were needlessly lost as a result. His followers took his cues and denied the seriousness of the virus, and since Trump eschewed wearing a mask in public for vanity concerns, his followers made mask-wearing a partisan issue. Experts have noted that tens of thousands of lives would be saved had masks been universally worn from the start.

He blamed Democratic governors and mayors for the inaction that his administration is actually guilty of.  Instead of communicating a national strategy for testing, delivering personal protective equipment, articulating consistent guidance, and most importantly, listening to the advice of experts, Trump has minimized the effects of the virus, calling it “embers” and offered dangerous therapeutic treatments. Health experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci, spoke truth to power but Trump would have none of it.

With his sights on re-election, the coronavirus pandemic complicated Trump’s argument that only he

Refusing to wear masks during a pandemic.     Photo: CNN

can offer a strong and growing economy. As such, he pressured all governors to open up their states after massive shutdowns caused by stay-at-home orders, and the servile governors—especially in Florida, Georgia, Texas and Arizona—dutifully complied but did so prematurely before the number of cases leveled off.  Today those states are hot spots with record-setting numbers of cases each day reported.

By contrast, Trump’s presumptive opponent Joe Biden offered a reasoned, thoughtful and clear approach in dealing with the pandemic. He has been a breath of fresh air during Trump’s chaotic response.

In a scathing indictment on Trump’s leadership, Republican governor Larry Hogan of Maryland opined in the Washington Post  that Trump’s delays in reacting to the virus and distributing test kits have been costly to the states. Hogan also commented on Trump’s leadership.

“Instead of listening to his own public health experts, the president was talking and tweeting like a man more concerned about boosting the stock market or his reelection plans,” Hogan wrote.

Trump cannot face the reality of an election that as of now is slipping away. His substitute for leadership is emphasizing what a great job he is doing though the U.S. leads the world in the number of cases. A fix for that, Trump believes, is to have less testing. If you don’t test, there won’t be cases.  Wow!

What we need during this pandemic with such an uncertain future is not a cheerleader but rather a leader. Our lives very much depend on it.

Trump’s Downward Spiral

As 2020 rolled around, things were looking pretty good for Donald Trump’s reelection bid. The all-important economy, for which he grabs total credit, was humming along nicely albeit modestly. 

Unemployment was at historic lows. The stock market indices were raging at record highs. Trump and the Republicans had amassed a huge war chest advantage over their rivals heading into the election season, and the Democrats were trying to sort out a gigantic field of candidates to determine who would challenge the insufferable incumbent. #hocopolitics

With all his personal flaws, character deficiencies and other foibles, Trump, by all accounts, was in fine shape. Impeachment? No worries. He somehow managed to win the message war. The same could be said for last year’s Mueller report. His flop photo-op diplomacy with North Korea’s Kim Jong-un, his embarrassing performance in Helsinki with Russia’s President Putin and Charlottesville were all in the rear-view mirror.

Pundits marveled at Trump’s good fortune in not being confronted with a crisis, which would have tested his leadership abilities. That ended abruptly with the onset of the coronavirus or Covid-19 at the beginning of the year, which launched a downward spiral that has put his reelection in grave danger.

If Trump could have handled the coronavirus any worse, I can’t figure out how. He has written the book on how not to deal with a health crisis.

The more than half-empty arena in Tulsa was disturbing to Trump.

Denials of its existence, minimizing the effects of the virus, delays in response, politicization, refusal to accept science, prescribing his own dangerous treatments, politically-motivated pressure on governors to open the states’ economies prematurely, urging schools to re-open without a specific plan to do so, having no national strategy on testing and contact tracing and distribution of equipment, not urging face coverings—all while the toll keeps mounting and the number of cases and deaths leads the world as Trump denies the existence of surges of cases in the Sunbelt and refers to them as embers.

As a result of the stay-at-home orders stemming from the pandemic, the economy tanked. Tens of millions of workers lost their jobs and the country was pushed into a recession.

In addition, Trump has shown no empathy towards those who have suffered and to the loved ones who lost family members. He claims (falsely) that he has done a great job and has saved millions of lives. Trump blames everyone but himself for the epidemic’s carnage, and in particular, China.

While this tragedy continues to play on, Trump was equally inept following the disgusting murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands (or I should say knee) of a police officer. If there was any doubt that Trump is a racist,  this episode and what transpired since should have erased such misgivings.

Again, Trump showed a lack of empathy though he characterized the murder as “terrible.” He cracked down on protesters, assailed those who engaged in arson and looting as agitators and radical Democrats, sided with law enforcement, and for some weird purpose, he embraced the Confederacy.

No wonder former Grand Wizard of the KKK David Duke endorsed him for president (again). He called the growing Black Lives Matter movement that experienced a resurgence in the aftermath of the killing of Mr. Floyd as a statement of hate. And, of course, he wants to preserve the monuments of those traitors who fought against the U.S. to preserve slavery.  

The nexus of these two crises was exemplified by white armed militia types at Trump’s urging entering the state capitol in Lansing, Michigan to protest the lock down of the state due to the coronavirus are untouched. Black men who are unarmed get killed.

Political observers wonder why Trump has been so overt in his racism. It certainly will not expand his base of support. As former Senator Al Franken noted in an interview with Joy Reid, “He already has the racists.”

Besides the devastating political toll these crises has had on Trump as evidenced by diminishing poll numbers in key battleground states, Trump was hampered by an onslaught of other political missteps and bad press.

In no particular order, tell-all books by former Director of National Security John Bolton and Trump’s niece Mary Trump painted a horrific portrait of Trump as president and as a man. Former cabinet members and military leaders weighed in as well. Trump’s widely criticized photo-op at a church near the White House did not help matters. Even worse, law enforcement tear-gassed peaceful protesters at Lafayette Square to clear the way for this misguided event.

Then the story surfaced whereby our intelligence agencies concluded that Russia was offering bounties to kill American and coalition forces in Afghanistan. Trump stumbled on this one, too. First he said he was never briefed. Then he claimed the intel was not actionable. Nonetheless, he still has not called Putin to at least complain about it. It is more evidence that Trump still owes the Russian president for helping him win the election in 2016.

It just goes on and on.  The debacle in Tulsa. Several Supreme Court decisions stunned the president. The firing by Trump fixer Attorney General William Barr of U.S. Attorney Geoffrey Berman in the Southern District of New York.   The commuting of the sentence of convicted felon Roger Stone because Stone had the goods on Trump and was protecting him. Everything that he disagrees with is either a hoax, fake news or a witch hunt. 

All these events and more have seen the president in a free-fall emotionally and politically. He is in a hole and he keeps digging. What worries me most is that the desperate Trump will challenge the results of the election from those states allowing mail-in ballots. He has already paved the way for this excuse by alleging (without any evidence) that this method of voting is rife with voter fraud. And we can expect more interference from Russia to whom Trump is beholden.

But as of now, Trump is definitely in a downward spiral and he can only blame himself for that but won't.

Unmasking Trump’s Biggest Mistake

From his candidacy for president through three plus years in office, Donald Trump has made a host of mistakes. Some have been in the process of governance like the pointless Trump shutdown, separating families at the southern border, the Muslim ban, his response to Charlottesville, his blundering of the coronavirus pandemic response, his taking the wrong position on the George Floyd murder-inspired Black Lives Matter protests, as well as other instances. #hocopolitics

He also made a number of political miscues along the way, such as demeaning the late Sen. John McCain, making fun of a disabled journalist, calling Mexicans rapists, insulting a Gold Star family, and more recently his stroll to the St. John’s Church with Bible in tow for that infamous photo-op after law enforcement broke up a peaceful demonstration using tear gas and other weapons.

So far, Trump, who had been impeached but not convicted for abusing his power to pressure an ally for personal political gain, has more or less weathered the storm, hanging around within single digits of Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in most polls.

But President Trump has made one mistake that arguably is his biggest to this point, and that will do more damage to him politically than any of the others. To put it simply, his dismissive attitude towards wearing face masks during the coronavirus pandemic could have an oversized effect on his reelection prospects not to mention adversely impacting the health of large swaths of the population.

Trump needs a strong economy to make the case for reelection but pesky COVID-19 put a halt to that. The ensuing stay-at-home orders provided by his own administration and the nation’s governors closed most businesses, sent well over 40 million folks out of work and plunged the economy into a recession. For this reason, Trump had first denied the seriousness of the pandemic and eventually downplayed it so that he could pressure governors to open their states’ businesses sooner than health officials advised. Remember, for Trump, "it's the economy, stupid."

While some states are seeing their rates of infection decline, the Sunbelt is experiencing a marked rise. In this environment of “re-opening the economy,” it is more incumbent than ever to practice social distancing, avoid large gatherings and to wear face masks to at least mitigate the spread of COVID-19.

Somehow, these common sense precautions have been politicized by Trump, who refuses to wear a mask in public.  His followers take his cue and view wearing masks as a sign of “weakness” putting everyone around them at risk. To be fair, some of the Black Lives Matter protesters have eschewed masks but that appears to be more of a personal decision (albeit a risky one) rather than following the President’s example.

Early on, when there used to be briefings from the White House Pandemic Response Team, Trump never wore a mask on the podium and was in close proximity with other members of the team. He continues to go without a mask in subsequent public outings, and his supporters are following him. For his part, Vice President Pence tweeted a photo (pictured) of him since deleted at a campaign headquarters in Virginia with no masks in sight.

The biggest test to date is Trump’s upcoming political rally in Tulsa, OK on June 20. The planners have not mandated the use of face masks and we know the thousands of expected rally-goers will not wear masks so they could piss off the liberals.  Those attendees will have to sign a waiver so that they cannot sue the Trump campaign if they are stricken with the very virus they seem to deny.

Nonetheless, Tulsa’s health director is concerned for the well-being of the attendees and the president himself.

“I think it’s an honor for Tulsa to have a sitting president want to come and visit our community, but not during a pandemic,” Dr. Bruce Dart, director of the Tulsa City-County Health Department, told the Tulsa World. “I’m concerned about our ability to protect anyone who attends a large, indoor event, and I’m also concerned about our ability to ensure the president stays safe as well.”

We’ve learned this much about COVID-19.  It doesn’t care about party affiliation or the righteousness of causes. Instead, the virus is hell-bent in finding a host and to penetrate his or her lungs to decimate them. Masks help prevent the spread, and without a workable therapeutic or a vaccine, Covid-19 is going to be around for quite a while.

The Far Left Fake News Media, which had no Covid problem with the Rioters & Looters destroying Democrat run cities, is trying to Covid Shame us on our big Rallies. Won’t work!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 15, 2020

By Trump’s not taking the coronavirus precautions seriously like wearing a mask, he is putting his own base, his own voters, his own people and everybody who are in contact with them in danger. The further spread of COVID-19 will slow down the re-opening of the economy if not set it back altogether as the public will be less likely be sufficiently comfortable in patronizing those businesses. Therefore, Trump’s cavalier approach will not help his reelection chances since the economy is unlikely to bounce back under these conditions.

Wearing a mask is the prudent thing to do but Trump doesn’t see it that way. It’s his biggest mistake thus far.

A Dress Rehearsal for November?

Concern mounts over how an unstable, volatile Trump may act after being defeated in the election.

Let’s assume President Donald Trump loses the upcoming presidential election. Now let’s imagine what his concession speech may sound like on the night of November 3:

“Well, the American people have spoken and I wholeheartedly respect their decision. I just called President-elect Joe Biden and congratulated him on his robust campaign and wished him the best of luck. I promised that my staff and I will make the transition to the Biden Administration as smooth and efficient as possible. I want to thank my supporters and my family for their devotion to me as we must seek to unify our country during these difficult times. As for me, I will resume my role at the helm of the Trump Organization and pledge to help the Biden Administration in any way I can for the betterment of our county.”

Now if you believe that this speech could take place I have a beautiful ski lodge in the South Florida mountains to sell you.

Comedian Bill Maher has famously said over the past couple of years that Trump, should he lose, would never leave the White House. Lots of people dismissed that as pure hyperbole with little evidence to support the notion that Trump would violate the Constitution and cause an unnecessary crisis. #hocopolitics

However, as the coronavirus pandemic has gained a stronghold in the world and in the U.S. in particular, tweets and spoken words by the president over the past two months seemed to have added credence to what was viewed as Maher’s preposterous speculation and has worried many more.

Stumbling out of the gate even when Trump’s own intel and health officials warned him of the pandemic, Trump mismanaged the crisis as he acknowledged it a full two months after he was alerted to it. He offered confusing and contradictory messages, played politics with “blue state” governors, and failed to establish a plan to provide much needed testing and personal protective equipment to health workers on the front lines.  

Trump was in denial and played down the coronavirus as nothing more than a flu, which will disappear, and a new Democratic hoax. He claimed almost simultaneously that he bore no responsibility; he had total authority; and then shoved it off to the states to deal with it. Later, he offered a possible treatment: injecting bleach into one’s system and using UV rays internally with neither lethal activity sanctioned by legitimate physicians and scientists.

Along the way, Trump witnessed the meltdown of his vaunted stock market numbers—one of the measures he planned to use to justify re-election—and now the jobless rate and the total reported unemployed are in Depression territory. His chances for re-election were evaporating, and he was desperate. And a desperate Trump is indeed a dangerous Trump.

Trump egged on demonstrations against stay-at-home orders by state governors in violation of the White House’s own public guidelines for dealing with the coronavirus and preventing the spread of COVID-19 urging them to “liberate” their states. 

Recall how Trump used to say that the military, police and bikers were his people. He must have really been aroused to see demonstrators decked out in cammo or with many donning Trump-Pence 2020 garb and hoisting banners with a few swastikas sprinkled about.

In Lansing, Michigan, demonstrators—all white—entered the state capitol with impunity replete with long rifles and automatic weapons slung over their shoulders as a means to intimidate. This was clearly Exhibit A of white privilege; unarmed Black joggers meet a different fate.  

The summoning of weapon-toting Trump supporters has begun to alarm folks and wonder what Trump would do should he lose.  Certainly, referring to the demonstrators as "warriors" is unsettling, too. What has taken place with these protests could be a dress rehearsal for November.

“If anyone doubts that Trump will ask MAGA to take up arms and defend him at all costs if he loses in November, you don’t know the man,” tweeted former Trump insider turned stand-up comedian Noel Casler who spent six seasons on the set of Celebrity Apprentice. “He would plunge this country in chaos to escape justice or fair election results.”

If anyone doubts that Trump will ask MAGA to take up arms and defend him at all costs if he loses in November, you don’t know the man. He would plunge this country in chaos to escape justice or fair election results. @realDonaldTrump

— NoelCaslerComedy (@CaslerNoel) May 10, 2020

Many Democrats as well as some traditional Republicans, after witnessing Trump’s erratic behavior over the course of his term and in particular, during the current crisis, fear he would declare the election as rigged by the media and deep state and the mail-in ballots fraudulent.  

At the extreme he could urge militias to storm the streets and government buildings to protest the results. There have been similar threats by right wing extremist groups online so it’s not a concept plucked out of mid-air.  

The next six months promises to be ugly and dangerous politically and economically as will the coronavirus pandemic, especially if there is another surge because states opened up their economy prematurely. A desperate Trump, whose election fortunes rest with how he ultimately is seen managing the crisis, is well aware he faces legal turbulence once he is not a sitting president, should alarm us all.

How such a constitutional crisis would be rectified is uncertain at best.

 

Images: Reddit,VOX

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.

Exposed by the Virus

Trump’s character flaws spring up during the coronavirus pandemic.

Photo: AJImpact

Throughout our history, presidents have often used their intellect, judgment and the expertise of advisors to rise to the occasion when called upon to meet the challenges of a crisis facing our country. Franklin D. Roosevelt in World War II and John F. Kennedy in the Cuban Missile Crisis immediately come to mind. George W. Bush failed his test when dealing with Hurricane Katrina, for example, though he demonstrated leadership in unifying the country following 9/11.  #hocopolitics

President Donald Trump has failed miserably so far in addressing and managing the novel coronavirus pandemic, which, as most are aware, is simultaneously an existential threat to the health of the population, to our economy, and to our well-being as a nation and world leader.

From the very outset of this crisis, Trump squandered the opportunity to act swiftly to help combat the effects of COVID-19 and to acknowledge the dangers posed. His denial of the seriousness of the virus and his generally cavalier attitude towards it led to critical delays in getting much needed supplies and equipment to hospitals and health officials and establishing widespread testing so that scientists and medical experts can determine the scope of the pandemic.

His every word, every statement and yes, every tweet, were uttered with his re-election bid in mind. He played down the seriousness of the situation lest the financial markets get even more rattled than they had from the beginning of the crisis. The gaudy stock market numbers prior to the news of the coronavirus and the overall strong economy were keys to Trump’s re-election rationale. They have since evaporated, and the country is facing a severe recession and historic unemployment despite a $2 trillion relief package passed by Congress. And that stock market continues to tank with no floor in sight.

As the number of cases in the U.S. and the world spread and the shocking number of fatalities was increasing exponentially, Trump no longer could paint a rosy picture and blame this as a new Democratic hoax. His response to the crisis has been abysmal, incompetent, dangerous and a manifestation of his numerous character flaws that he has demonstrated throughout his term. But they have been laid bare and have come into focus especially when this pandemic hit the U.S.

The following is a breakdown of how several of these flaws have been detrimental in dealing with the crisis:

Lying. Trump is a pathological liar, and even his most ardent supporters recognize he has a wobbly relationship with the truth. His lies, mistruths or whatever you want to call it has been detrimental in providing clear direction to a frightened population.

He lied about the temporary nature of the virus in that it will simply disappear, that it was Obama’s fault, that anybody who needs a test gets a test, that Google engineers were building a testing-related website, that we have outpaced South Korea’s COVID-19 testing, and on and on.  

Then there was this gem: “I’ve always known this is a real—this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic … I’ve always viewed it as very serious.”  This even as he claimed it was a flu and minimized the seriousness.  

And this one: This kind of pandemic “was something nobody thought could happen … Nobody would have ever thought a thing like this could have happened.”  Prior to Trump’s taking office, the Obama administration warned him about a potential pandemic and the World Health Organization as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned administration officials about the danger of the coronavirus hitting the U.S. well before Trump acted.

There have been many other such whoppers over this period that have led to a confused public.

Narcissism. Nobody can name a more narcissistic president than Donald Trump. At a time when he should be concerned about the welfare of the American people and demonstrating even a modicum of empathy, like everything else, he makes the coronavirus situation about himself.

He dubbed himself a “wartime president” to demonstrate strength and leadership prowess but unlike other strong leaders past and present, he refuses to take responsibility for the lateness of the response to the virus and blames governors (mainly Democrats) instead.  He probably used the moniker of wartime president as a shield against criticism.

He actually states that governors desperately in need of supplies should be more appreciative of his efforts and be more deferential to him.

Then there was his bragging about his TV ratings from his rambling, contradictory, confusing, dreary and uninspiring daily briefings and boasting that he has done a tremendous job.

Partisanship.  Ever since Trump showed up at a CDC meeting wearing his red campaign cap, he continues to be partisan during the crisis. As mentioned above, Trump faults Democratic governors for not being able to obtain much needed supplies, masks, ventilators and other equipment.  Trump attacked such Democrats as Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as well as Sen. Chuck Schumer.  

He has praised Republican governors including Florida’s Ron DeSantis even though he allowed spring break parties on Florida’s beaches violating social distancing guidelines and being late in issuing a stay-at-home order.

Trump has directed needed resources to Republican governors over Democratic governors. Cuomo has been begging Trump for ventilators and other supplies as the coronavirus toll mounts in New York, but DeSantis had no trouble acquiring immediate help for Florida, a battleground state in the 2020 election.

And as also mentioned above, initially he called the coronavirus a new Democratic hoax.

Nepotism.  Despite any qualifications or government experience, Trump saw fit to make his daughter Ivanka and her husband Jared Kushner principal advisors to the president. Kushner became the latest in a succession of individuals to be the front person for the coronavirus response team.

Never mind that Kushner has no experience in medicine in general or epidemiology specifically or crisis management for that matter, he was given the reins nonetheless. America will now have to turn its lonely eyes to him. With all the military leaders and medical experts to choose from to take charge, the only reason for Kushner’s presence is the fact he is married to Trump’s daughter.

Photo: Reuters

Vindictiveness. Throughout Trump’s presidency, he has displayed a level of vindictiveness that is beyond normal. In 2018 Trump disbanded its National Security Council pandemic team most likely as a result of it being President Obama’s creation.

He continues to spar with members of the press at his daily briefings labeling questions as “nasty” and “gotcha” when they were essentially softballs lobbed to him to help make Americans feel hopeful. It is almost like his retorts were pre-conceived without even listening to the question. Trump has been particularly harsh with female reporters and especially towards one who is a person of color when he responded to her with the indelicate phrase, “you people.”

When Navy Captain Brett Crozier was relieved of his duty by the Acting Secretary of the Navy Thomas Modly because he did not follow strict protocols in complaining about the outbreak of coronavirus on the 5,000 crew aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt, many observers believed that Trump had his fingerprints all over it. Count me in on that suspicion.

____

President Trump has demonstrated he lacks the bandwidth, intellectual acuteness, curiosity and temperament to effectively deal with complex situations, such as the coronavirus pandemic. However, when you add in his myriad character flaws, the results can be potentially catastrophic.

Even the Coronavirus Can’t Avoid the Partisan Divide

Pres. Trump appearing at a meeting at the CDC donning his campaign cap

Our politics are so divisive that even the coronavirus pandemic, which has no political allegiance, can’t be viewed through a non-partisan lens. From the outset, President Trump has shifted his interpretation of the effects of covid-19 from near denial of a problem to a “wartime” footing.

 

During this unsettling process, in which the financial markets have reacted viciously against the uncertainty of the economic impact mixed with the often contradictory messaging from the White House and medical experts tasked with mitigating the pandemic, people who are Republicans and those who are Democrats differ markedly in their perception.

According to an NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll taken between March 11 and 13 (noting attitudes may have shifted since), the following findings appear:

Worried that someone in your immediate family with catch the coronavirus?

All voters: 53 percent

Urban Dems: 70 percent

Suburban Dems: 68 percent

Rural Dems: 65 percent

Urban GOPers: 44 percent

Suburban GOPers: 37 percent

Rural GOPers: 41 percent

Stop attending large public gatherings?

All voters: 47 percent

Urban Dems: 59 percent

Suburban Dems: 63 percent

Rural Dems: 59 percent

Amazingly, there are plenty of deniers still out there fueled by commentary on FOX News at the beginning and by the president himself who at his rally in South Carolina on February 28 called the situation “the Democrats’ new hoax.”

According to the Washington Post on Instagram:

Even as President Trump has asked Americans to stay at home and has called on the nation to come together to fight the “invisible enemy” known as covid-19, virus doubters persist. They call reports of more than 200,000 sickened and 9,000 dead worldwide a sham. Republican legislators have continued to brag about their dinners out, some beaches remain packed with spring breakers and Hollywood starlet Vanessa Hudgens was forced to apologize for complaining on Instagram that “people are going to die, which is terrible, but like, inevitable?” 

Virus deniers vow to continue on with their daily activities with little adjustment, convinced that the unprecedented reaction to the virus is nothing more than a plot by the media or liberals out to get Trump. The Pew Research Center released a poll Wednesday that found that 62 percent of adults say the media is exaggerating the risk of the virus.

The NBC/Wall Street Journal poll referenced above seems to suggest that these deniers are more likely to be Republicans.  #Hocopolitics

Anecdotally, Trump supporters see this as another attempt by Democrats and the media to make

Trump look bad after the Mueller Report and the impeachment trial failed to lower the president’s approval numbers. I have heard this from Trump supporters that the coronavirus is exaggerated to drop Trump’s numbers.

    

As the markets tank to a level that existed before Trump took office and that the economy will undoubtedly slide into a recession, Trump’s main re-election campaign arguments have gone down the drain.  But Trump is doing this to himself.  The stock market dives with every lie, contradiction and factual error he spews from the White House briefing room adding to the already built-in medical uncertainty of this new virus.

Though Republicans and the president himself have called for unity and non-partisanship (meaning no criticism of the president), it must be pointed out that Trump attended a CDC meeting two weeks ago sporting his familiar red campaign cap.  That alone undermines his plea for nonpartisanship; there is no justification to wear that cap at such an event.

Plus he made comments, such as the stock market will rebound in time (for the election, he implied); and cruise ship passengers should not be allowed to return to the U.S. because he didn't want the number of cases to rise; or consciously calling it the "China virus."

People have the right to criticize the handling of the crisis; perhaps and hopefully, it would be taken more seriously. It was reported, for instance, that one of the FOX News commentators urged Trump to take it more seriously lest there will be political hell to pay.

Here is the problem: If we cannot get 100 percent on board to see this as a major health crisis and stop worrying how this will affect the November elections, the results could be catastrophic. This is not the time for bravado and machismo as we often see when the tough guys speed on snowy roads or do other stupid stuff.

To amplify this point, there is the viral clip of the doophus on spring break with the backward cap saying, "If I get Corona I get corona. At the end of the day, I won't let this keep me from partying." How selfish is that?

Even as our local officials take strong actions and we comply by taking the necessary precautions, the deniers are putting all of us in danger with their cavalier, selfish and careless behavior.  This is not political pandemic but it sure feels like one.

_____

UPDATE:  On March 27 President Trump signed into law a $2 trillion stimulus package that was passed in a bipartisan manner. to provide relief to those businesses and individuals affected by the coronavirus pandemic.  Despite the bipartisan passage of the bill in Congress, the White House purposely excluded Democrats from the signing ceremony.  And Republicans accuse the Democrats of politicizing the coronavirus crisis!