Trump’s Failed Presidency

Trump views scientists and professionals as part of the deep state that’s out to get him. He undermined the architecture for fighting pandemics, since becoming president. He closed the White House National Security Council Directorate for Global Health Security and Biodefense in 2018 and slashed the budget of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by 80 percent.

He downplayed the seriousness of the pandemic for six weeks after the disease was first identified in the United States. Without testing and quarantines during this critical time, the infection expanded exponentially.

Americans demand honesty and steely-eyed realism, not denial and happy talk. Unlike Trump, Joe Biden offered a three-point plan to mitigate the crisis:

1 Expand testing to determine the extent to which people are affected by the Coronavirus.

2. Emphasize preparedness to treat those infected and increase hospital capacity, mobilizing ventilators for patient care.
3. Intensify efforts to develop a vaccine for treating those infected and preventing new infections.

Biden’s “whole of government” approach includes a safety net for those affected by business or school closings. He supports a comprehensive response to flatten the curve and slow transmission that requires social distancing and suspending large public gatherings. Non-essential domestic airline travel, which exposes people to risks, should be discouraged.

International cooperation is also critical. Trump initially rejected the World Health Organization’s offer for help with testing. He blamed European countries for transmitting the virus, preferring recrimination over knowledge-sharing. He banned travel to/from China, which bought time, but Trump wasted the window of opportunity with inaction.