Historian Slaps Donald Trump With Disastrous Grade For Coronavirus Response
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Historian Slaps Donald Trump With Disastrous Grade For Coronavirus Response
Historian Slaps Donald Trump With Disastrous Grade For Coronavirus Response
President Donald Trump may rate his fumbled response to the coronavirus pandemic as a 10 out of 10 .
But historian John M. Barry, author of the 2005 bestseller “ The Great Influenza: The Story of the Deadliest Pandemic in History ” about the 1918 pandemic, thinks it’s at best a 3.5.
And in an interview with The Washington Post published Tuesday , Barry suggested even that score was “overly generous.”
Barry noted Trump downplayed the threat of the virus that has gone on to kill almost 100,000 people nationwide. Although the president eventually began to take the outbreak more seriously, he continued to give out “inaccurate information on a daily basis.”
The United States’ response to this pandemic will be remembered in 100 years’ time as “incomprehensibly incoherent,” Barry said, arguing that the most important lesson was to “tell the truth.”
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No doubt. Trump supporters delude themselves as to how history will treat this narcissistic idiot.
It sure doesn't help that he and junior sold critical PPE to China when we needed it here.
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Again Still better than the trash that moved out.
Just consider this site and others like it as fun and entertainment, and a place where people can harmlessly vent and complain about whatever they want., usually about politics and religion.
Minds are rarely changed because our views have been formed over lifetimes...in my case, one that has lasted 82 years. Consider each day a blessing and strive to be positive instead of negative in your thoughts and actions.
An unwillingness to change ones mind due to preconceived notions or biases is indicative of a closed mind.
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Unfortunately his assessment is a vague as most of the ones I have seen. This kind of criticism should be constructive, but it comes off just as partisan as the others I have seen. Unlike this historian, I can explain my position.
Is this a fair criticism? For one thing, he didn't completely trivialize it. I would say his position all along has been a mix of trying to take it seriously, while simultaneously trying to promote calm throughout the country. Both are worthy goals, but it's a hard line to walk effectively. And since it has been a century since something like this swept the country, I think most Americans understandably just assumed it wouldn't ever happen like this here.
Furthermore, Trump clearly had a lot of company in downplaying the virus. The WHO delayed weeks in confirming that the virus could be spread easily from person-to-person and waited far too long, in the estimation of many, to declare a pandemic. Scientists and politicians in federal and local governments were encouraging people to live their lives as normal even into late February and early March.
It is not fair to judge Trump as if he were ignoring advice from scientists. Drs. Fauci and Birx have repeatedly said that Trump has listened to, and followed, their recommendations from early in this process. Expecting the president, all on his own, to foresee the extent of the pandemic is unreasonable. No president would have the tools to accomplish that.
Yeah he probably does. At minimum, I think he is sloppy in the things he says. He rambles. He is imprecise. And he does not appreciate that people take even his throwaway musings as serious proclamations. He may not think that's fair, but he should adjust to the reality that people listening to him respond in dumb ways.
Trump is not alone in dispensing inaccurate information, though. Scientists have had to make corrections several times on how this virus behaves and what our response should be. They get a pass because that's the scientific process, but policy decisions are made based on their advice, so maybe they shouldn't get a pass. Furthermore, when it comes to the details of that response, there is plenty of disagreement even among experts.
Complicating things is the press, with its need to sensationalize the most trivial things. They routinely take statements Trump has made and blow them way out of proportion, warping their meaning. For example, the notion that Trump believes people should inject bleach. That kind of journalism does a lot of harm.
Not even CDC? Who then? All these exclusions don't leave a lot of options. Anyone the president picked to be a spokesperson would be seen by someone as a partisan voice.
I don't think it's reasonable to imagine that in a crisis like this, we would never hear from the president. I think we would hear from any president on a regular basis. I believe the press would have a field day with any president who didn't speak regularly on the topic.
This notion that politicians shouldn't be spokespersons on the pandemic is an interesting idea, but clearly far from universally agreed upon. Evidence? Governors and mayors all over the country give daily briefings. Several - Democrats especially - are praised in the media for doing exactly that. But Trump is screwing it up because he's not a neutral scientist? Sorry, but such double standards make for weak criticism.
And anyway, we do hear from these scientists all the time. Drs. Fauci and Birx are known all over the country now - and praise by many on the Left - because they have been speaking well on the virus. They do the press conferences and they do interviews on all the news networks.
"Barry noted Trump downplayed the threat of the virus that has gone on to kill almost 100,000 people nationwide."
No !
The "God" of all that is Science.... Downplayed it. Trump was following what this "God" had been saying ! If Trump "Takes Charge", the mdia goes back to "Their God" to tell us Trump is Wrong.
Gotta love when "Trump Haters" ….. make SHIT up !
Weird !
Loved what Dana Perino said on "The Five" yesterday about the CDC. "The CDC" should not be putting out briefings, and then changing what they tell us, over and over. Either wait, or don't say anything at all". I'd Trust Dana. She's always got the "Well, I wouldn't be so quick to Judge" mentality when talking about what is right and wrong with Presidents and/or Congress.
I'd say we have a CDC Problem, Not a Trump Problem. It's the CDC that can't make up their minds.
Someone doesn't know how scientific modeling works. Or how as more is learned about a NOVEL virus, more input into the model. What was known in Jan is less than Feb. Or March Or April. Or May. Information changes, model changes, outcomes change.
Getting it right the "First Time", would "Save Lives".
Playing with Numbers and letting the "Citizens" know "You're still Playing".....doesn't.