Incompetence and Corona

Two things should be very clear after Donald Trump's coronavirus press conference: (1) he has no idea how to handle a real crisis, and (2) his appointment of Mike Pence as coronavirus czar will make matters worse. Trump's method of operation is to lie about everything, even when the facts and evidence show otherwise. However, this scheme becomes very obvious when the facts and evidence affect what Trump claims to be his sole masterpiece -- the stock markets.

After 5 days of free fall, Trump finally held a press conference that contradicted the conclusions of medical experts at the same podium. Trump said he has everything under control even though, over the past few years, he had gutted and maligned the agencies capable of responding to this very same crisis. Experts said that the situation will get worse. Markets believed the experts because the next day, the DOW fell almost 1200 points.

By the spring of Trump's first year in office, there were 700 vacant positions at the Center for Disease Control (CDC) because of a Trump imposed hiring freeze. His proposed 2021 budget cuts the CDC further and reduces funding for global health initiatives. Trump's plan seems be to undo anything the Obama administration put in place regardless of its effectiveness -- just because Obama did it.

Trump said he chose Pence because of his experience while governor of Indiana. What Trump didn't say was that, under Pence, the state experienced the worst HIV outbreak in its history because of Pence's opposition to needle-exchange programs. As cases spiked, Pence did what he does best -- he prayed. Markets reacted to his appointment with the precipitous 1200 point fall because prayer also requires expert, planned, and prepared actions, none of which Pence, nor Trump, nor anyone in his administration is capable of.

Trump may be setting up Pence because he will need someone to blame when the forecasts of the experts happen. Trump has signaled that he might prefer another running mate for 2020 and may select Nikki Haley, former Ambassador to the UN, to boost his approval rating with women. And Haley has recently defended the Confederate flag, claiming it deserves respect, falling in line with Trump's "both sides" statement.

Meanwhile, the White House ordered that all messaging by the medical community will be coordinated through Pence's office. Officials insisted that they are not trying to limit information to the public. However, this rings hollow coming from an administration that lies about everything, and is more concerned about image than the safety of Americans. Others may fear Trump's nasty schoolyard rhetoric, but this coronavirus doesn't care about what Trump's tweets.

Avoid crowds, wash your hands, and vote Trump and the GOP out of office. It appears that your health and welfare depend on it.

John L. Ferri