EDITORIAL: Trump must act, not distract, on COVID-19 to move U.S. forward

CBC Editorial: Monday, May 4, 2020; Editorial #8537
The following is the opinion of Capitol Broadcasting Company.

President Donald Trump’s administration confronts the COVID-19 pandemic as if it were reality TV.

It isn’t. It is reality.

Throwing tantrums at aides about China and blaming that nation for its lack of transparency about coronavirus. Threatening retaliation such as $1 trillion in tariffs on Chinese imports and limiting China’s sovereign immunity (the international practice that says governments cannot be sued without their consent.

That might be the stuff of elevated TV ratings, but it isn’t the stuff that helps the United States effectively confront the pandemic; increase testing diagnosis and treatment; provide adequate protection for healthcare workers; and reduce the spread of the virus and the toll it is taking on lives and the economy. COVID-19 deaths are approaching 450 in North Carolina; 70,000 in the nation and 1.2 million worldwide.

It is President Trump who is responsible and he has yet to show consistent concern, savvy or leadership. He – and those around him like U.S. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky – have failed to support the valiant efforts of our nation’s state and local leaders; the sacrifices of the nation’s small business operators and employees; the courage of our newly-recognized “essential workers;” and the determination of Americans who have effectively followed “stay-at-home” orders and helped children who -- for their health and safety – are unable to go to school.

The litany of presidential dodging, denial, disregard and duplicity has been more than amply documented. In January, when first warned of the potential crisis, he ignored it and that’s set the tone for a lack-luster response from his administration – even as Drs. Anthony Fauchi and Deborah Birx have sought desperately to prop things up.

Trump’s actions threaten public health and prolong the impact of the pandemic. If Trump wonders why the nation isn’t back to business sooner, he only needs to look in the mirror.

His actions have forced states to compete with each other for virus tests and emergency and healthcare worker protective equipment that only has exacerbated states’ efforts to respond to the virus spread but compounded shortages and forced states to pay inflated prices.

Let’s face it. You cannot believe what the president says. It changes every day.

The president’s bickering with governors – who by in large have embarrassed federal officials with their steady and purposeful work to help their states confront and survive COVID-19 – has neither been entertaining nor helpful. Polling numbers – even in North Carolina (a state he carried in 2016) reflect deep dissatisfaction. Half the state’s voters disapprove of the job he’s doing while 65% approved of Gov. Roy Cooper’s handling of his job.

Trump’s interminable nightly insults and complaining with the White House press corps has been tedious, pointless and distracted from the rare important bits of information offered by key federal health and emergency officials.

Rather than looking to distract and deflect, it is way past time for the president to acknowledge his responsibility and work more to lift the nation than his own ego.

Blaming China, throwing tantrums demanding tariffs that will cost Americans more than the Chinese, won’t cure a single case of coronavirus or put one of the 30 million unemployed Americans back on the job. It’s just a distraction from the important tasks at hand.

The president needs to be focused NOW on supporting the hard work of governors and join with Congress to get critical aid to local governments and states to keep them solvent and serving their citizens.

Just do it now.