Blame the states. That’s Trump’s new excuse for the failure of his administration to provide the support and resources necessary to address the coronavirus pandemic. As governors call on Washington to help them get needed supplies like ventilators, masks and gowns, Trump recommends sterilizing and reusing contaminated equipment. He put his is idiot son-in-law, Jared Kushner, on stage to tell reporters that the states should have their own supply of ventilators and that the ones the US government owns belong to the feds.
Trump is distorting federalism to cast the blame on governors who face an unprecedented epidemic for overburdened hospitals and a rash of deaths that are already here in some states. He views the crisis through a political lens, trying to minimize the damage to his own re-election chances while creating scapegoats in governors like Gretchen Whitmer. He compared states to little countries and Kushner, without an ounce irony, said voters should note which elected officials are good managers and which are not. He was talking about governors but everyone else was looking at Trump.
Another leader would use this opportunity to bring the country together. Franklin Roosevelt defeated Herbert Hoover, in large part, because Hoover did not believe the federal government should interfere with the economy, no matter how bad it got. Roosevelt came into office pledging to mount an aggressive response and he began his famous Fireside Chats to ease the anxiety of the country, letting the people know that the government was there to help. He was the original “I’m on your side” politician. While he can’t compete with the nationally televised press conferences Trump holds daily, Biden is striking a similarly compassionate tone.
Trump is using the crisis to further divide the country. He told Vice President Mike Pence not to respond to blue state governors who were critical of the federal response. He said that governors needed to “treat us well” if they expected help from the administration. He sees this crisis like he sees everything else—a battle to be won and his adversary is not the virus but other political leaders.
He’s also trying to manage the crisis like a business. States are competing for resources. Maybe it will drive the prices down for some things up but it will almost certainly death tolls up. The crisis demands a coordinated national response and Trump is thwarting it. He’s like Herbert Hoover except vindictive. It’s not just that he philosophically is opposed to helping states, he’s actively trying to damage his opponents. It’s recipe for disaster for which he the GOP will pay a steep political price.
Thomas Mills is the founder and publisher of PoliticsNC.com. Before beginning PoliticsNC, Thomas spent twenty years as a political and public affairs consultant. Learn more >
So you think Kushner is an idiot? Wow, you really need to be treated for TDS. Here is a 37-year-old Jewish American who has reached the pinnacle of power and influence, not only in the business world, not only with respect to American domestic politics, but also in international affairs.
You may strongly disagree with his political positions, but an idiot—-I think not. Such an insolent smear can only be a viewed as a symptom of chronic TDS.
EVAN,
Some of your words seem a bit dated, educators prefer persons “affected with extreme intellectual disability”. Which if he made it through law school would cast doubt on that assumption.
Therefore, where are dealing with conscious choice to make questionable decisions and not diminished capacity. Although, to reference Kushner’s religious affiliation seemed uncalled for and crude, moreover, did not appear in the original article.
Calling Kushner, a 37-year-old Jew, NOT the best way to convey your thoughts a there was nothing in the original context of the piece suggesting religion was an issue.
This is not to suggest Mr. Kushner is not the best administrator. Apparently, he is currently and, in the past, had issues as a cooperating owner with the family business of rentals. This could raise issues as to his decision-making ability. Moreover, the extent of his involvement in latest Trump Family RICO action remains unclear currently.
Nero fiddled while Rome burned.
Trump tweets while America gets “burned”:
by his “anti-everything”, even with a coronavirus crises starring him in the face.
The question to ask is not:
“Has his ‘leadership’ failed, is failing, and will continue to fail?”. —– We know the answer.
—- But rather what to do about it? ——-
In the early years of Trump’s Presidency (it seems like he has been President 30 plus years, not just 3 and a half), I wrote Senator Burr, pointing out that the USA had handled the lack of an active President on the job pretty well. Examples are Wilson and Eisenhower sick, and Reagan near death). ——– But I pointer out (This was right after Charlottesville.), that handling an “anti-President” would be far more difficult, and that the Senate should hold “oversight” over him, help him grow in the job, and if necessary “censure him” for his bad behavior to keep the nation on course. ——– But of course this did not happen.
In fact the opposite happened: Republican Senators un-learned truth and fell in line with “Trump speech” like zombies. ———–
But we all can give Trump high ratings for one thing: —— propaganda. !!!!!!!!
(The old Soviet Union would be jealous).
He is the best “illusionist on TV since David Copperfield.
But in the end, there are not enough “smoke screens and mirrors” in the world for him to make this coronavirus pandemic disappear. His handling of the problem will be his downfall.
Edwin Finch
Historical Note: Things did not work out well for Old Nero,(who many thought was mentally unstable ) committed suicide on June 9, 68 AD, after being told that he had been tried in absentia and condemned to death as a public enemy, making him the first Roman Emperor to commit suicide. I suspect Roman law did not have provisions for diminished capacity.
Talk about a ‘perfect storm’ – a world-altering pandemic and a world-class liar in the White House!