Trump vs. Covid - How He Failed Us

TY’HANA ALDRIDGE | NOVEMBER 6, 2020 | OPINIONS

If you were to ask every student at Stanton College Preparatory School how their year has been, a majority would probably describe it as chaotic. From the Black Lives Matter protests to the California wildfires and the spread of the COVID-19 virus, 2020 has been a rollercoaster. Unfortunately, President Donald Trump has not made this year any better. Since the first COVID-19 case was confirmed in the United States on Jan. 20, President Trump has managed to respond to this pandemic in a manner that has resulted in the deaths of over 223,000 Americans.

On March 10, President Trump insisted to the press that the virus “Will go away,” adding, that Americans should, “Just stay calm and it will go away.” The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic the very next day on March 11, with 1,267 cases and 38 deaths in the United States alone. Comments expressing a serious virus that has infected over 1,000 people at this time will simply “go away” shows that the president and his administration either do not understand science or refuse to believe the role science plays in society during a time like this. It is hard to believe President Trump is taking this crisis seriously in light of such comments he has made. 

During the early weeks and months of the outbreak, countries such as New Zealand acted quickly to reach a daily rate of one test per 1,000 residents in 14 days, considering their small population. While in comparison, it took the United States 55 days to reach the same testing rate, a much bigger population, showing that the Trump administration was carelessly waiting to take action. President Trump constantly made it clear that they had an abundant amount of tests to give, so why did it take so long? In addition, the president also delayed the distribution of additional personal protective equipment (PPE) to medical care facilities and those at risk of exposure in the states. When Coronavirus Response Coordinator Dr. Deborah Birx asked President Trump if the U.S would provide additional PPE, he responded saying they would not act as a “shipping clerk.” If earlier action was taken to distribute these products to those in need and require more testing, there could have possibly been an earlier detection of people with the virus and could have reduced the spread in the earlier months. 

Experts and researchers have also criticized President Trump on his response to the virus. In an article written by Business Insider, Dr. Ashish Jha, the director of the Harvard Global Health Institute said, “The Trump administration's response has been abysmal. It’s hard to imagine they could have done it worse.” Dr. Jha gave Trump’s overall response a grade of “D” and declared it would be hard to give it anything above. Other experts, including Dr. Jha, have also stated the administration wasted valuable time when it came to distributing tests and preparing health care facilities for the virus. Dr. Jha added, “two months of completely ignoring every bit of scientific advice” was “a shocking level of incompetence.” However, President Trump has chosen to ignore the views of experts and it has only hurt his response to the virus and the lives of Americans.

Oct. 11 marked the eighth month since the COVID-19 virus was declared a global pandemic and since then the virus has only gotten worse. Not only did President Trump’s slow response result in the U.S. leading every country with over 8.9 million confirmed cases, according to The New York Times, but so did his rush to re-open the country and its states. Phase one of his reopening plan allowed restaurants, places of worship, and large venues to open with strict protocols. If there was no evidence proving the virus was resurging, phase two would allow non-essential travel to resume. At the time President Trump proposed this plan in early March, cases were steadily increasing with little sign of slowing down. With the president suggesting states to re-open when there were over 32,000 deaths, it shows he is focused more on re-opening the economy rather than ensuring it is safe enough to do so. Although it is up to the state to decide whether or not they choose to open up, it is still looked down upon to suggest it so early on, giving state legislatures the idea that everything is perfectly fine and under control. 

Similarly, during the presidential debate on Sept. 29, President Trump mocked Democratic nominee and former Vice President Joe Biden for wearing a mask. The president said, “I don’t wear a mask like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. [You] could be speaking 200 feet away from him and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.” Ironically, a few days after this on Oct. 2, President Trump, First Lady Melania Trump and more than a dozen of the White House staff tested positive for the virus. 

Moreover, President Trump’s distaste for masks serves to trivialize the virus, and influences the actions of his supporters. An NBC News-SurveyMonkey poll conducted July 26 found that 86% of Democrats wear a mask every time they go out in public, while less than half Republicans do the same. Based on the findings of this survey, it is not shocking that many Trump supporters do not feel the need to wear a mask. According to CNN, Tony Germaine, a Trump supporter, told BuzzFeed at a Pennsylvania rally on Sept. 3, “I don't care, I just don't believe in it. Because I don't understand what good it's really going to do, unless you're in a high-risk area like a nursing home or a hospital. I think the left is playing the mask thing to the hilt all the way to the election. In my opinion, they're trying to steal the election." The president is giving the American people the idea that wearing a mask is optional and does not play a critical role in reducing the spread. 

In the midst of his many mistakes, President Trump has accomplished a handful of tasks that have been helpful during the pandemic. During the early months of the outbreak, he called out China for their failure to contain the virus while implementing a travel ban to China and installing airport screenings. Although this is great, it is also important to remember that President Trump has called the COVID-19 virus the “Chinese virus” and “Kung flu” numerous times. As a role model, insensitive terms like these that are mocking those of different races and downplaying the virus, sets a horrible example of how Americans should handle the virus. The president also launched the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), giving tax relief to workers and providing those who were currently unemployed with benefits. However, if the Trump administration acted efficiently earlier on, many workers would still have their jobs. Those who are unemployed are still at risk of low income even with the PPP, because the president is able to cancel this at any time. 

Overall, President Trump has proven he is not leading us in the right direction to stop the spread of the pandemic in the U.S. Yes, he has done the bare minimum of instituting a partial travel ban on China and providing jobless Americans with stimulus checks, but none of this covers the fact he has been an ineffective role model or leader during these difficult times. Suggesting people consume disinfectant products to cure the virus and downplaying the effect it has on American lives is something no leader should do. The evidence provided, including much more, strongly shows President Trump’s weak response and reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic has set the U.S up for an increasingly longer and unnecessary battle with the dreadful virus.