Trump did not create the novel corona virus (COVID-19), but through his ineptitude, narcissism, and mendacious propaganda he weaponized it and aided its deadly spread throughout the United States.
Any semi-intelligent person understands the necessity of reflecting on their, or others, past mistakes to avoid repeating a bad situation; particularly when that bad situation adversely endangers human life. Donald Trump cannot, and will never, come to terms with the fact that anything he does could be misconstrued as a mistake or wrong, because he thinks he is perfect. It is almost certainly why Trump’s Surgeon General told reporters during a press briefing, likely on Trump’s orders, to stop pointing fingers, criticizing, or assigning blame for the corona virus’ spread in America.
For several weeks Trump and his nasty lackeys at Fox News accused Democrats and the media of “weaponizing” the COVID-19 virus by asking when he intended on taking action to prevent the virus’ spread. There was “weaponizing” of COVID-19, but the truth is actually the opposite of what Trump claimed.
Trump used Democrats’ and the media’s concerns for Americans’ health and well-being during a virulent global pandemic as a political weapon in his quest for reelection and filthy habit of self-aggrandizement no matter the issue. But unlike the media and Democrats’ simply asking questions – Trump’s weaponizing the pandemic is costing Americans’ lives. Trump has blood on his tiny hands borne of his incompetence, narcissism, and mendacious propaganda crusade. It is a months-long crusade of dishonest and misleading claims still being carried out by Republicans, evangelical fanatics and right-wing media.
To get more stories like this, subscribe to our newsletter The Daily.
That Trump initiated the propaganda campaign was not only intrinsically evil, it successfully created an atmosphere that prompted many sane, but ignorant, Americans to spread the deadly virus throughout the population. According to no small number of imbeciles who are not Trump acolytes, the fear of the virus spreading was just political hysteria with no basis in fact; a claim this author heard three times on Friday. For Trump’s hateful acolytes, particularly his evangelical devotees, their wanton spread of the virus is their way of combatting “nasty leftists” who are out to get Trump.
Earlier in the week Trump said that he knew from very early on that the corona virus outbreak was a pandemic before the World Health Organization (WHO), and if that was indeed the case, his month-long propaganda campaign dismissing the “pandemic” as a Democratic hoax is even more despicable. He said:
“This is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic. All you had to do was look at other countries.”
It is doubtful that Trump even understands what a “global pandemic” is, but he did know COVID-19 was as virulent as it is deadly – he didn’t even need to “look at other countries” and what actions they were taking to protect their own citizens. He was duly warned before COVID-19 became a thing, but it was more important to protect his image than American lives. Protecting Americans’ lives still doesn’t figure in Trump’s malignant mind. In fact, every day that Trump denied, dismissed, and diminished the threat to American lives increased the amount of blood on his hands. And whether it is those who have already succumbed to the virus or those who will become infected and lose their lives, their blood is on Trump’s hands.
Even before the news of the COVID-19 outbreak, there were several federal agencies sounding the alarm regarding how unprepared America was; whether it was a coordinated plan of action, adequate funding, or the lack of preparation, America under Trump was ill-prepared to protect American lives. As reported in a New York Times article, the potentially deadly consequences of failing to immediately address the lack of preparation are now playing out “in an all-too-real fashion across the country.” Trump knew well that America was unprepared for a pandemic and still did nothing except downplay the threat even while those consequences were being realized.
It is certain that COVID-19 was going to come to America, but if Trump had heeded his own government’s warnings and took immediate action the spread of the virus could have been reduced and lives would have been saved. In fact, even now the experts are warning that taking “severe measures” similar to those in some Democratic-governed states will greatly reduce the virus’ spread and save countless lives. A conclusion by Columbia University researchers is that, “even if the country cut its rate of transmission in half, some 650,000 people might become infected in the next couple of months.” There has been nothing from Trump to take severe measures because it will expose to the entire nation just how bad the infection rate is and how his incompetence resulted in the spread of the virus resulting in the loss of American lives.
Trump is still attempting to downplay the dangers of the virus’ spread. His call to states to not report unemployment numbers is not about the stock market as much as it is burnishing his image as an economic genius. Trump will accept massive loss of American lives if it appears the stock market is doing well, and it is part of his “weaponizing” the virus to both attack Democrats and the media while feeding his nasty ego.
Despite any official’s call to avoid the “blame game” it is crucial to remind the population exactly why the country is in a place it could have avoided if the nation’s incompetent leader cared about Americans’ lives. Trump did weaponize the virus for his own benefit and doing so has, and will continue to, cost American lives. How many fatalities due to Trump’s lack of regard for human life will likely never be known, but it is no stretch to say that by doing nothing in spite of knowing how unprepared America was, and still is, the dirty cretin has American citizens’ blood on his tiny hands.
It is almost certain that if Trump had taken action as soon as he “knew COVID-19 was a global pandemic,” then his worthless media sycophants and cowardly Republican legislators would have supported his efforts. Instead, they wholeheartedly embraced Trump’s weaponizing efforts making them as guilty as Trump for aiding a deadly rampage against American citizens. It is a fact that cannot be understated or allowed to go unpunished.
Audio engineer and instructor for SAE. Writes op/ed commentary supporting Secular Humanist causes, and exposing suppression of women, the poor, and minorities. An advocate for freedom of religion and particularly, freedom of NO religion.
Born in the South, raised in the Mid-West and California for a well-rounded view of America; it doesn’t look good.
Former minister, lifelong musician, Mahayana Zen-Buddhist.
