You want to throw out the 2016 election where the american people have spoken loud and clear! Yes that sounds like a very good idea.
12
Ok Jenny,
Whom do the Italians blame for their corona problem, are they also dumping on their president, or is France or any country grappling with the virus?
Maybe it’s only an American sport to blame the in power party by the outs.
15
The left wing has tried everything they possibly can to remove Trump. First it was Operation Crossfire Hurricane, then HRC pays for a fake Russian Dossier that is distributed via Bruce and Nellie (the ham radio operator) Orr, then the Mueller Investigation, then impeachment and now using a health scare for political purposes. This is being done because Joe Biden will lose big to Trump in November.
7
Wouldn’t it be ironic if our President tests positive for the Coronavirus?
I should add that I truly don’t wish anyone illness.
But ironic it would be, if the man who has belittled the health concerns of many, who doesn’t want to let people off a cruise ship to keep the number of positive tests down, and who clearly cares more about the stock market than whether people can safely go to the pharmacy for their medicines or the grocery store for food, ends up sick.
51
American Spectator said it for President Trump is right when he accuses the Democrats of working “to inflame the coronavirus situation.” They regard the outbreak as an opportunity for scoring political points. Moreover, they have behaved so irresponsibly during the past three years that what little credibility they enjoyed has evaporated. Gallup finds that Congress has a 23 percent approval rating. The reality is that the president, the CDC, and the NIH are doing as well as most reasonable voters would expect with the coronavirus outbreak. When it becomes obvious that the Democrats have cynically exploited this serious public health risk in one last attempt to damage Trump, the voters will react with revulsion. They will reelect Trump and return the leadership of the House to his party.”
I find Ms Senior’s over the top critique fatiguing.
11
Your narratives are discrediting you and the value of your voice. The psychobabble does not help.
The fact is, Trump has put put up bunch of professorial looking experts, some outright brand names in the field, to take the spotlight and attention in daily televised briefings. That is called basking in borrowed brand equity. Narcissistic maybe, but narcissistic like a fox.
10
Trump's response to everything: "me, me, me, me and more me". To heck with Americans and the problems America faces until it directly impacts this one sad president and his puppets.
Gaetz, Collins, Meadows etc are all his goons that lack the ethics and solutions needed in our White House. Vote them all out of office.
Too bad that "genius" gene that Trump refers to did not make to his own cold heart and narcissistic brain. Instead like a virus, his inability to have a plan and seek resolution has spread to his constituents. And they too can't even figure it out.
52
I think the Times should keep a running daily total on the front page about the number of corona virus lies Trump says, I do think he should not be quoted when he spouts his font of misinformation.
66
He's unfit period!
63
Dear NYT:
Unfortunately, the corporate media feeds and amplifies President Trump's narcissism by focusing almost exclusively on whether a news development advances or hurts Trump's political fortunes, often ignoring the merits.
Day after day, the narrative writ large is "Trump is bad," or "Trump is unfit" to lead us.
Sure, it sells papers and drives clicks. But this sort of relentless tabloid reporting damages our ability to assess common facts and to reason together, to find a common "truth," however provisional, and a way forward.
This bias is itself a form of media narcissism, a mass neurosis of self-aggrandizing Resistance, that elevates personal antipathies over reason, and selectively ignores, emphasizes or shades the "facts" to fit its narrative.
Yes, Trump does a lot of dumb things. But he is not Hitler, and has demonstrated that for better or worse, he is fully in charge of this government, having survived an almost constant political and journalistic onslaught that names him a Russian dupe and traitor, a racist, a sexist, and yes -- incompetent.
This narrative has resulted in a deeply divided and hateful nation, that turns to different media to affirm their views.
Why play Trump's game?
9
An incredibly wealthy nation like the U.S.A., for years has allowed employers to under pay those who work for them. When a citizen has 2 children, 3 part time jobs (all minimum wage or commission only), and NO PAID SICK LEAVE, how likely is that citizen to just stay home when they don't feel well?
For as long as republicans have fought against basic healthcare, they've also been telling folks that they need to get out there and work until exhaustion in unregulated industry. And if they get sick, with a bad cold or coronavirus, or even worse, they'd better not disappoint the boss.
Now this administration is just outright in 'cover trump's butt' mode, adding another layer of insult to this healthcare test.
My pharmacist just laughed when I asked when they might get hand sanitizer in. Could someone please ask djt to come to WA and at least toss some bottles of hand cleaner to us lesser folk? If his newest sycophant tells him it'll make him look benevolent, he'll do it.
I wonder if Ivanka's having difficulty getting hand sanitizer. Or Melania not able to afford to take a day or two off her work if she gets ill.
No testing kits, although Italy can do it. Americans get lies. Republicans, I don't care how good your naked emperor's clothes look to you. That sneering Matt Gaetz with his WWI gas mask, his unseemly glee.....then going in front of a mic to moan about Dems politicizing the virus?
The wealthy are getting tested. But your local clinic and mine go without.
62
Contrary to this article, the CDC maintains testing data on its website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/testing-in-us.html
5
Please tell me something I don’t know or something I need to know.
2
This crisis will be Trump’s Katrina.
17
Mr Trump has put his subservient, Mr. Pence, who has an abysmal record in handling the AIDS crisis in Indiana, as cover for his inadequacies. He is quick to blame the oil crisis as the reason for the stock fall, giving him an out re coronavirus blame. He is playing with peoples' lives. His dismissal of genuine medical expertise and false claims of knowledgeability are borderline criminal
23
Where are the grownups ?
21
Having an extremely narcissistic leader, a form of personality disorder, is something that the US and the UK share in common.
There is a chilling lack of openness of both Trump and our PM Boris Johnson. Johnson is also an extreme narcissist, who is also racist and a misogynist.
The Johnson Government, has failed entirely to prevent inward travel from initially China and now any other highly infected country, into the UK at all and anyone who suggested this was, condemned as xenophobic by the Tories but also by the shadow Labour Party Health Secretary Jonathon Ashworth.
This basic failure to protect the UK population is now resulting in large scale infection of our population and up to now 5 tragic deaths. This is a criminal dereliction of duty by the Johnson Government, particularly when the first 2 Coronavirus victims in the UK, were Chinese who had entered the UK at the beginning of February.
At least Trump reluctantly ordered the cessation of Chinese inward travel to the US at the beginning of February.
The UK like the US is failing to test all but a very few people who may develop the virus and their close contacts, which is massively massaging the scale of this epidemic.
There is currently no vaccine for this epidemic, like in 1918. Countries will need to move to mass quarantine of whole cities and even countries, in order to quell the rampant spread of this deadly virus. In taking this draconian action, leaders must bear in mind that people must come first.
13
"Oh, I knew how bad he was, but... judges! anti-abortion! tax cuts!" That's the chorus I hear all the time from my Trump-supporting pals. Their codas differ, with "I wish he would tweet less" being the most common.
Double DUH.
220
Please ask your representative to produce public service messages for TV that inform people to wash their hands and stay home from work/school if they are sick. Please distribute this to all network and cable channels.
Please ask your representative to ask Jeff Bezos as a patriot to manufacture and distribute hand sanitizer to all Americans in the next 2 to 3 weeks.
Best regards
Sidney Wolfe
24
Here is how stupid Donald Trump is:
When he heard that the South by Southwest festival was cancelled, he ordered White House personnel not to watch a movie running on Turner Classic Movies, North by Northwest.
27
Trump is Unfit for Office for "this Crises." DUH. It has become painfully aware to people all over the world who knew Trump was NEVER fit for Office that no matter how many times and ways he screws up and proves his gross incompetence; it just does not matter! Not to the deaf, dumb, and blind fools who compose the Republican Trump base who will gladly follow him over any cliff. No; this is just the latest example of how the U.S. is living in Trump`s "Alternate Universe"; and if the Kelly Ann Conway`s of that world do not wake up; your nation is seriously in trouble.
33
On the other hand, Bernie Sanders said everyone will get the coronavirus vaccine free, when we don't even have the vaccine yet.
14
We are about to witness a classic case of “ the Emperor has no clothes” under a brilliant spotlight of reality. Trump is so out of his depth on this current global crisis from which NO WALL around the country can protect us. Every candid picture of him shows fear in his eyes and the slumped shoulders of defeat because he’s so obviously out of his league and everyone can see it. He can’t bully or lie his way out of this horrible dilemma. He’s got nothin’. He can’t offer leadership and certainly any empathy. Perhaps now his Trump supporters (who are still alive, God willing) will finally see him for whom he truly is: a showman and, to use one of his favourites, a HOAX.
28
Article 25 time. This occupant is totally incapable of honest leadership. Always make the situation about him. He has no empathy for anyone. He has to be removed from office.
41
I am so sick to death of watching the Coronavirus briefings and hearing Mike Pence constantly praise the President. Illustrates how even during a major health crisis when the country needs leadership we have Trump leaning on Pence to ensure he gets unwarranted credit.
46
The worst thing possible is spreading hatred and fear when everyone needs a calm a rational approach to a difficult but not extremely dangerous situation. This article seems to be doing exactly what needs to be avoided. The bad thing it attracts too much attention and too little critique.
We better read "The psychology of coronavirus fear—and how to manage it"
https://www.msn.com/en-gb/health/familyhealth/the-psychology-of-coronavirus-fear-e2-80-94and-how-to-manage-it/ar-BB10ZL8o
2
We need to stop whining about how unfit Trump is, and start doing something, anything, to get him out of office.
49
Is this the time to bash Trump? Can we suspend the Trump Derangement Syndrome for a little while?
6
I sense panic coming from all quarters, in particular the US public and definitely in the White House. How about a good dose of measured common sense.Shall we shake hands on it?
2
Now the MAGAgenius and his Republican cronies are proposing to cut payroll taxes. Any excuse they can get to further bankrupt the country while cutting funding for Medicare and Medicaid, they'll take.
Please, Jennifer, ask your colleague Dr Krugman to write another column explaining how tax cuts are lousy as short-term stimulus methods.
The Republicans will entrap the Democrats politically with this: "we really, really want to keep the economy from tanking, but the libs won't let us!".
The Democrats need a comprehensive stimulus package proposal, and they needed it yesterday.
15
The only person worse, but way, way worse than Trump is Joe Biden. After Trump stopped travel from China at the end of January, which was the most important decision for the US, without which we would have twenty times more cases like in Italy,
a full THREE WEEKS after the closing of the border, when everything was clear to anyone else, clueless Biden said that closing travel from China was xenophobic and he would never do it... That, when even China was closing internal travel. Sanders says the same now.
And in the middle of the epidemics crisis worldwide, the Democrats in Congress were pursuing a narcissistic impeachment. Shooting themselves in the Biden foot...
Americans will remember this in November. This opinion piece is simply despair. And the Democrats are sinking in national polls...
8
Coronavirus is a gift for dictators, and would-be dictators. First shut down Congress, next martial law; then, cancel the election.
11
Let's just call this what it is ...the INFANTILIZATION of the US to the whims of narcissistic sociopath. With all we've endured from this Trump presidency now we will pay with our lives to prop up the ego of a child man. He's infantilized everyone around him. there's not an adult in the room to question his behavior on a national scale.
35
There he goes again, as usual only thinking of himself. When asked if he was or would be tested for the Coronavirus he responded by saying he was in excellent health. How can a morbidly obese person be in excellent health? He was in close contact with persons who are now in self-imposed quarantine. What is he trying to prove? He thinks he's above the law, so he also thinks he's above getting sick!
Speaker Pelosi was asked if she thought trump should be tested for the virus and and as only she could respond with her impeccable timing said, "he should have been tested a long time ago."
15
THIS is the Fifth Risk Michael Lewis' book warned us about. An eviscerated government cannot govern.
16
sTrumpette is incompetent for *any* crisis, not just this one. It's proven this on so many points and topics to date even the dimmest trumptards should be able to figure this out by now.
8
He is unfit for any crisis, and for that matter, any public office.
22
“His narcissism is a grave danger to our health”...
Seriously?
I agree that Trump is a failure as a president and should be fired ASAP. HOWEVER, sentences such as these along with 24/7 sensational headlines only serve the writers and publications. They do not inform the public with useful information, but stoke the flames of this mass hysteria.
Where are the headlines on the numbers out of South Korea? Are they too mundane and realistic?
1
Unfit for THIS crisis!?
He is unfit for any crisis and unfit for the regular day to day government activities as well. But you will always have those who are happy to act slavishly around a vindictive bully. Common sense should inform you as a voter to not forget this and to bear it in mind with respect to those members of the Republican Party who cared and care so little for your health and that of your family but much for their own “advancement.”
14
We already know this. I wouldn't hire the man to clean my windshield, because his only gift is for smearing.
22
You can tell how seriously Trump is taking the corona virus challenge to his reelection because he is wearing his emergency costume for his TV virus update appearances.
5
When all you care about is yourself, it is impossible to do anything meaningful for others. Besides being incompetent, he is incapable of considering the fate of others (outside his family and band of enablers).
I hope the better angels in positions of power can help save us from this menace....and keep us safe from Covid-19
9
President Trump is unfit for office. Period
18
Terrifying.
10
Trump is unfit to handle any crisis. Trump IS the crisis!
22
Melania has a great new reason to avoid contact with him.
11
The media isn't giving the best, most ethical, responsible effort to this epidemic either. Might be time for the NYT to reduce the editorial contributions and focus on facts, research, and reporting again.
7
That' why he put Pence in charge!!
2
A President who denies science is not going to understand...
We live in a technology/science age, change is happening so fast, only understanding the facts will provide options of hope for the future of America.
The desire of some in our country to go back to the past, where only men had a say (and not all were equal) , and women had no say, is exemplified by the "Trumpublican" party... Where expropriating "other peoples money", property... allowing many to founder, and die, certainly not prosper and thrive!
Europeans when they came to the Americas in the 16th century had immunity against the "pox" which wiped out 90% of the indigenous population. Unfortunately for the descendants of "white Americans", they have no immunity against COVID19 - however many times they wash their hands!
A President who lies about the weather, ignores climate enhanced natural disasters (3000 dead in Puerto Rico) which have cost the country nearly $750 Billion in the last 5 years. He shows no compassion for anything other than his close friends and families financial health. A President who has been bankrupt 6 times - costing others nearly $4 Billion can hardly expected to lead, except from a bunker (on a golf course?).
Time to vote him out, this will remove his insanity and lies he brings to our world!
17
It appears that people's assessments of the risks presented by coronavirus relate directly to the media they consume. If you tune into Fox and another pro-Trump media, you are likely under-estimating the risk. If you read the New York Times, the Washington Post and other media I consider "mainstream" and credible (but which are regularly denounced by Trumpites as "fake news"), you are taking the risk seriously and concerned about our lack of preparation. I'm thankful that, despite its best efforts, Trump and today's GOP has not utterly destroyed credible media organizations that employ skilled reporters who do their best to report facts and (unlike Trump) admit it when they get it wrong. I'm proceeding with caution.
16
Great point. A disease like Corona virus is an evolving story and the truth is complicated. That is why societies typically act with caution (the price of underestimation is far more than that of overestimation).
Unfortunately, this simple nuance is lost on our president, his followers and his cult supporters.
15
Looks like honesty, integrity, and a dose of humility are important traits for a leader after all.
23
William Faulkner's observation about the deathless past is an apposite assessment of how repetitive history is in America. On June 5, 1981, the first governmental department report of the mysterious virus that was eventually named AIDS was issued. Ronald Reagan did not mention AIDS publicly until September 17, 1985, and only because his fellow actor Rock Hudson succumbed to the disease in Paris, as treatment in the U.S. was inadequate. Prior to that, any mention of the epidemic was treated as a joke by press secretary Larry Speakes and the White House press corps with few exceptions, notably Lester Kinsolving.
A National Security Agency daily briefing dated August 5, 2001 delivered to President George W. Bush stating BIN LADEN DETERMINED TO STRKE WITHIN THE UNITED STATES was ignored as were the serious concerns of government agents like Cofer Black. FBI agents closely monitoring 2 of the Saudis responsible for startling W as he attempted to read "My Pet Goat" on September 11, 2001 had been ordered to drop their surveillance months before.
"You're doing a great job, Brownie!"
Plus ca change, plus ca la meme chose in Gore Vidal's United States of Amnesia.
(Please excuse the absence of cedillas.)
18
I haven’t come across yet in any of the articles I’ve read here and elsewhere, that one of the reasons Trump may be downplaying and minimizing the epidemic is to protect his business interests. If he tells people to quarantine themselves or not travel, they won’t go to his hotels and golf courses. With him it’s always about his money as well as his reelection. Please mainstream media look into this.
28
Donald Trump is not capable of leading our nation out of this crisis.
Trump is clueless, increases uncertainty with every statement and gesture, and provides no degree of moral leadership. He distrusts anything he does not know...and he isn't knowledgeable on basically everything. And his animosity towards science and any expert creates confusion and chaos across all critical sectors of our society.
We are in a crisis, folks. You must rely on your own understanding of how to address this problem.
Use the CDC website at https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/summary.html
But also read the opinions of all available experts, including all statements from Director Fauci, who is doing everything in his power and ability to be straight with the American people and provide us with daily updates including the best possible direction and information - which is exactly what we need right now.
Remember, the following every day actions can help prevent the spread of respiratory viruses:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds. Use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol if soap and water are not available.
• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth with unwashed hands.
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
• Stay home when you are sick.
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces.
Good luck, all.
19
Trump's impact on the virus's spread in US is essentially non-existent. I get that it's fashionable to blame him for everything including the weather, but let's say we still had a fully staffed CDC in Atlanta, GA, at the first announcement to the world of the outbreak. What changes? The CDC would have been powerless to prevent the virus's spread to the US, as at that point nobody had shut down travel and China's coverup had essentially guaranteed that infected people would be loosed into the wider world with no way to track them. That's why the virus continues to pop up unexpectedly in places, seemingly at random.
China was and is the primary malefactor in this incident. Their propaganda machine has been working overtime to showcase their work at containment, and our media seems willing to give them credit for it, but this entire disaster is their fault in the first place.
5
Here's the advisory from a large hospital located a major city:
According to the CDC: “For most of the American public, who are unlikely to be exposed to this virus at this time, the immediate health risk from COVID-19 is considered low.”
The CDC is now recommending that anyone who has traveled to a Level 3 country – even if they don’t have any symptoms – to self-isolate for 14 days. As of March 9, 2020, these countries include China, Iran, Italy and South Korea. Instructions for self-isolation are on the CDC website here.
For the large majority of patients who may have flu-like symptoms, testing for Coronavirus is still not necessary. There are many reasons why someone may have fever, cough, shortness of breath or gastrointestinal issues. If you have severe symptoms that are getting worse, go to an emergency room and mask yourself as soon as you can.
If you are concerned that you may have been exposed to Coronavirus and would like to be screened, call toll-free 1-xxx-xxx-xxxx, Monday through Friday between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. If you meet the screening criteria, we will arrange for testing.
I repeat: "IF" you meet the screening criteria, we will "arrange" for testing."
Trump said anyone who wants to get tested can get get one! Not so, at least not in my city.
9
Trump knows everything about everything , including the virus . He’s a stable genius . He’ll know what to do and even make some other country pay for our safe passage through the pandemic . Tired of winning yet ?
10
He's the only president we've got at the moment, so suck it up and make the best of it. He's incompetent for sure but we're stuck with him because you or your nextdoor neighbors thought he would be the right person for the job. And don't be surprised if he's still around this time next year!
5
@drg, we can and should demand our government be responsible and do what is right. At a bare minimum, be quiet and let the medical community do its job rather than worrying about how the number s look.
13
A few weeks ago in these pages, when some uptight critics were laying into the mendacity of the Chinese approach to fighting the virus and comparing it to the transparency that democracies offered, I warned that Trump's (and the US official response) would reveal itself to be no less transparent.. and apparently, no more accountable than the Chinese. And so it came to pass.
16
Pres. Obama was completely unfil to even hold a governorship in 2008. Jennifer and her pals told Americans that electing him would end the charge of ''Racism!'' so we went with it - and we are still recovering from the mistake.
Trump is all we need and we will continue to prosper under him. Just ask the millions of black and Latino families who are doing their best ever right now - under TRUMP, not any Dem.
6
Recovering how? Obama started his Presidency with a recession and rising debt. Trump started his Presidency with a growing economy no longer in a recession (caused in part by a Republican predecessor’s policies) and immediately set about adding significant debt.
He cut taxes to corporations and the wealthy while cutting the budgets of the CDC which fights pandemics and other scientific organizations.
Trump’s criticized politicians for years without actually running for office. He could have run against Obama but rebuilding an economy in recession was too much like work. Now we will see how he does with his own political crisis beyond blaming Obama? or trying to offload the responsibility onto Pence!
60
This shows the effectiveness of relentless right wing propaganda. These people think that nearly 8 years of job and economic growth under Obama was a disaster, while the three years of weaker growth under Trump has been some kind of miraculous recovery.
They've completely forgotten the promises Trump made to "fix healthcare" (still no plan) and "protect medicare and Social Security (now proposed cuts). They forget it would be "so easy" to solve the deficit (now blown up to $1tn/year), and build infrastructure, (nothing yet).
These people forget how Trump attacked Obama over Ebola, then, once in office, axed the White House pandemic response unit Obama established. Now they see him bungling the response to COVID19, wearing his stupid campaign hat at the CDC, and ask, "what more could he do?".
18
@L osservatore
Oh yeah. How are the people in Puerto Rico doing? Or did you forget about them too?
14
Trump is President because he's delivering on his promise to hurt the people his supporters dislike. Any other explanation is dissembling and rationalization. It all boils down to hurting perceived enemies.
29
Correct. They love him because he irrationally hates the same people that they hate.
6
It's fair to suggest one-half of Trump's supporters/voters don't care if he's narcissistic and the other half don't know the meaning of the word. Taken together, the qualifications to even run for high office and be on the ballot in this country need a thorough-going overhaul. Likewise, that we are "one country, indivisible" is a living fraud of which Trump is but one (glaring) example of taking advantage.
12
Joe Biden couldn’t handle any crisis.
8
No person can be a universal genius. However in my estimation, a good president will listen to the counsel of trained and intelligent people who know their field. I think Biden would do this.
75
POTUS doesn't look like a serious person among serious professionals. Layer the incoherence of what he says (did you see the press conference at the CDC last Friday?!) and no wonder people are looking for 'normal'.
We know what normal is now.
The Fox shows with Ingraham and Hannity need to go. Doing a lot of damage. And I'm a Republican who voted for Pres. Obama.
29
Trump is very empowering for many. His presence in the White House tells Americans that generalizations, assumptions, commonly held beliefs, and stereotypes are all one needs to understand the world and, in fact, run the country. Expert knowledge by authorities of disciplines gets downgraded to the knowledge of "so called experts". And all of this seems fine until something happens that requires actual knowledge and experience.
The danger in Trump is twofold. The first obvious issue is that he doesn't know anything. However, the second problem is perhaps more insidious. Trump has led a very large group of Americans to believe that he does in fact know something, and that his attention to this matter and the "job his people are doing" is not only expert in itself, but "great, great, wonderful, terrific". And because now ignorance is the same as knowledge, and car salesman language is used to hammer the point home, America is in "great great" hands. Remember the heck of a job Brownie was doing? Unfit indeed.
29
The root of the core problem with the right is that they have no good political ideas anymore. They haven’t for four decades. They aren’t fiscally conservative and the public agrees with liberal ideas on every other topic.
As a result, in order to ‘win’ politically, they have be be dishonest about themselves, their policies and their opponents. They can’t be sincere. They have to be either willfully ignorant or willfully dishonest. About everything. If they aren’t, they will lose every political argument. They can’t handle anything with competence. They’re shortsighted jerks who give no consideration to future generations who will suffer as a result of their negligence.
24
The entire Republican Party owns this. They have done 0 to put some guard rails on Trump. He is out of control as is the coronavirus. Sadly, it looks like the hollowed out federal government lacks the leadership or the infrastructure to respond effectively. Trump and Senate Republicans have taken a wrecking ball to a broad swath of federal agencies, running some of our best scientists and civil servants out of government and leaving gaping holes the government's ability to respond effectively. With the Senate, Supreme Court and Fox News in Trump's pocket he can do what he wants and get away with it.
As the coronavirus mows down Americans we are finding that we are on our own. The best we can hope for is that state and local governments will find a way to limit the threats and that come November the nation's voters teach the Republican Party a lesson by running them out of office. Right now Trump and the Republican Party are a danger to the nation on par with the coronavirus.
22
Denial, blaming everyone else, and happy talk work beautifully.
Trump will defy all expectations of the best and brightest.
Blame the victim and if that does not work blame the victim more often, more loudly, and more inaccurately. The other side will sputter and whine to no effect.
See those penguins surrounding Trump?
Trump is a genius. Who else could wreck so much without harming himself in the least?
3
I am simply amazed by this obsession with Trump. Some people are not capable of dealing with even a crisis like this without finding a way to link it to Trump. Elections will tell whether or not this obsession will help or hurt Trump.
4
@ Ahmet Goksun
Ah! If only President Trump would get out of the way of the coverage on COVID-19! If he could avoid commenting and let the doctors do the talking, I, for one, would happily not link this virus to Trump. But seeing as how he can’t help but imagine himself an expert on everything...
9
It is an extremely serious matter that when people nearing 60 and older with asthma, diabetes, heart, cancer and other health problems are at great risk, trump spreads his chaos, ignorance and misinformation, is unfit, plays politics, causes distractions, and operates on his ego-and self-interest. He does not care for anybody other than himself. His sole concern is his own election prospects.
14
At the state level, governors are acutely aware of the threat. Even our conservative Gov Kemp, with Pres Trump at CDC last Friday, did not seem very impressed by Trump's bizarre and narcissistic comments during that visit. Kemp knows that right in Atlanta where his state's government is, Fulton County schools are closed for two days this week to clean them after just one teacher tested positive. Trump? He is ignorant. He lies. All to bolster his approval rating, which is in the tank. He is so removed from reality, and compared to even conservative governors like Kemp, so removed from the people he governs, he is clueless to the impending effects on them, on our economy, and on our nation as a whole. He is totally unfit to handle this crisis, and consequently, to lead us as president.
16
If further evidence of the total mental collapse of the Republican Party were needed, polling shows that a large majority of Republicans believe Trump is doing a good job on the Coronavirus and public health.
9
Time for a photo op signing of an executive order claiming the crisis is over. That, plus a tax cut, ought to solve it.
6
If Trump does have an ounce of empathy in him, his PR team is not doing a good job showing that side of him during this time of turmoil. Next firing - Stephanie Grisham?
1
Trump, the gop and fox news are part of the coronavirus threat, when many lives, health, jobs and economy are all at great risk. People who are living paycheck to paycheck could get hit with huge hospital bills and go bankrupt. What will they and their families do then? Trump only cares about his money, stocks and winning the november election
4
Sanitize the country of everyone who has enabled the guy. You are also responsible for this incredibly bad governing. Where is our leadership?
6
All of this was obvious years ago. The blame is on the electorate, and of course his enablers. The irony is, as always, the people most impacted are the people who voted for him. They get what they deserve.
4
With impeachment having failed to convict Trump; with a federal court judge ruling that the House subpoena for testimony from former WH counsel Don McGahn is essentially null and void; with the DOJ neutered by Trump's lackey AG Barr; and, with no other institution or legal authority empowered to compel action by Trump regarding his inept and dangerous presidential behavior related to the coronavirus crisis, America has no way to force Trump to behave otherwise. We are literally the frog in the kettle of fire-heated water becoming warmer and warmer. Once the water gets hot enough, what is to become of us in massive numbers? How many Americans will have to unnecessarily suffer and die before what needs to be done to deal properly with our public health crisis is initiated, irrespective of what Trump does and doesn't do?
5
It is about time that every American citizen realized that Donald J. Trump is just plainly unfit for any position of Trust and Leadership. PERIOD. How he was elected, even acknowledging the idiosyncrasy of the Electoral College, is beyond rational comprehension! What more needs be said. Perhaps the Corona virus will be his Waterloo. Although his own self-aggrandizing behavior and treasonous activities as POTUS (viz House impeachment hearings) should have been reason enough for his removal from office.
5
For sure. Trumps narcissism, sociopathy and delusional nature are a danger to our nations health and well being.
Trouble is Dems are sending forth to oppose Trump a very weak Joe Biden.
So far the MSM has given Joe a pass on his record and looked the other way as he shows signs of confusion, disorientation and emotional volatility.
We are in trouble.
3
Methinks Mr Trump is afraid that mass rallied that feed his ego will diminish or stop if his supporters truly understand the dangers.
The side effects of the pandemic will be far worse than the direct effects. It is certainly very hard to lose a loved one, especially to a disease that could have been contained. But how will you feel when the funeral parlour will refuse to handle the remains?
As for the economic effects when people become afraid to trade with each other? Let your paranoid imagination off its leash....
1
I was at my doctor's office the other day to discuss a health issue I have. He asked me a ton of questions and took a bunch of tests. He will monitor my symptoms but is fairly sure the grief I am experiencing from the sudden passing of a very close friend is at the root of my situation.
The sense of relief and trust I have for my doctor (whom I have known for many, many years) is similar to how I feel towards the incredible folks at the NYTimes. I've said this before, but I feel it warrants repeating - I would be lost without their continual and dogged reporting and investigative efforts and stories. Heck, there is not a lot of truth or facts emanating from the White House or their supposed "Communications" Division. And the information given out is either half-truths or bold face lies.
It's one thing to feel confident in one's personal physician. But to have more faith and trust in the NYTimes than I could ever feel with THIS president and administration - well that indeed is a very sad, deplorable and scary scenario. It was bad enough to not trust the Nixon administration. But in all honesty, what those folks did and what is presently going on seems like small spuds to this farm girl.
Thank you NYTimes for keeping us afloat with the news stories and updates on a daily, if not hourly basis. Yet another solid reason why I am a subscriber to this news source.
16
@Marge Keller You're hired! Start Monday. You'll report to Elisabeth Bumiller, Washington Bureau Chief. She's demanding yet fair. And she'll think the world of you. Keep up the stellar work, and your staunch support of the Fourth Estate!
3
The data does not support the idea of the death rate from Covid-19 being around 1-2%. Of the 1187 closed cases in Italy, 463 or 39% have died and 61% have recovered, France's death rate with a much smaller sample is 71%, the US with an even smaller sample is 64%, S. Korea is 18% etc. This virus may be a lot more dangerous than the stable genius claims.
3
Trump’s reactions to the Coronavirus have been compared to Gorbachev’s handling of Chernobyl and GW Bush’s attitude during Katrina. Yet there is another comparison: GW Bush’s ignorance of and dismissal of the intelligence warnings of the imminent likelihood of an Al Qaeda attack. Analogous is Trump’s equally derelict reaction to early warnings of the risk of the Coronavirus spreading beyond Wuhan. Not only did he ignore those warnings, he failed to become informed and compounded matters by failing to exercise leadership in directing our nation’s responses. This is dereliction, plain and simple, made disastrous by ignorance and incompetence, worsened by Trump’s characteristic arrogance and sense of infallibility.
This is Trump’s pre-9/11 moment. He was warned of the mounting risk posed by the evolving threat. Trump’s response, like Bush’s, was dismissal of the warnings. In Trump’s case, though, he continues to refuse to acknowledge the extent of the danger and in near-criminal behavior obfuscates and disseminates, with the authority of the presidency, false and misleading alternate narratives.
With rounds of golf and hosting of an elaborate birthday party this past weekend, we have a comparison as well to Poe’s The Masque of the Red Death. From Wikipedia: “The story follows Prince Prospero's attempts to avoid a dangerous plague…. He, along with many other wealthy nobles, hosts a masquerade ball.” In our case, the masquerade is the whole of the Trump presidency.
6
Lock down is the only effective vaccine and anti-viral medication against this pandemic.
2
Well written article however this should come as no surprise for anyone that followed trump's handling of the Puerto Rico crisis.
7
"Blindsided" Trump says! We were "Blindsided" by Coronavirus? After ebola, MERS, SARS - there's no excuse for being blindsided. This is what Leadership would have been able to address.
Of course, this is also means 'Big Government' - which is what's needed to address big complex problems.
The GOP does not believe in Big Government.
Or Climate Change...
7
Trump is paid to solve problems, not to play golf. If he doesn’t understand this basic concept he should resign.
7
Clearly Trump is unfit for the office he is occupying. But we should not forget his enablers - the republicans in the Senate and his group of crooks that occupy various politically appointed positions including Barr.
4
I am so tired of talking about Donald Trump's incompetence and ineptitude. Is anyone surprised that Trump is bungling the leadership of the Coronavirus epidemic? We all saw that coming. Didn't we?
9
If you are listening to Trump, or Cuomo for that matter, rather than the CDC it is your fault not someone else.
Trump is unfit to do anything competently since his history includes hundreds of bankrupted businesses, notoriously poor payment to contractors and two failed marriages (noting the third looks shaky since paying off a porn star while wife #3 was pregnant with Baron).
The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted Trump's lack of intelligence, poor management skills and narcissism to America and the world.
Even Fox pundits have had to comment on the president's lackluster performance in organizing a cohesive and effective federal response. For example; Kellyanne Conway was asked tough questions in a live TV interview and while she maintained a "Trump is great" attitude, Fox clearly was not offering it's typical propaganda.
Trump will continue to fail at leadership regardless of the arena being politics, business or interpersonal relationships.
2
"President Trump Is Unfit for This Crisis. Period."
Mr. Trump Is unfit for any crisis. The first rule for managing any crisis is to gain the confidence of those who are exposed and vulnerable to the crisis. Who could trust a con man who lies every time he breaths.
6
It’s not the virus, it’s the mass hysteria surrounding it and the fact that a hollowed out federal govt without any expertise is absolutely worthless. We need a smart, well staffed and funded federal govt. this virus and the communications surrounding it are but a preview with a chance to right the ship in November.
5
Is there anyone who seriously thought Trump would suddenly become presidential the moment a national crisis emerged? Other than Senate Republicans, I mean.
Trump is Captain Queeg in short pants. Able to muster investigations into who stole the strawberries, capable of spotting one man among hundreds who isn't wearing his helmet, dedicated to being the best target-towing ship in the Navy, right up until he runs over his own tow line and blames somebody else for the mistake.
But when the typhoon hits, he is paralyzed with fear, unable to lead, unable to admit he doesn't know what to do. Sorry, Captain, but when a pandemic hits you can't just file bankruptcy.
8
Trump is just a random bullet. What comes out of his mouth is so arbitrary that it makes no sense. I cannot think of another president in my lifetime who consistently said such random, nonsensical statements. He contradicts his own appointees about the information they are supposedly responsible for sharing with the public. He makes-up numbers and baseless claims. People are saying that Joe Biden is senile but, seriously, how could Biden be any worse than this guy?
5
It is staggering that still, we have in place a president who is clearly insane and a direct threat to the immediate physical welfare of every person in America and our immediate neighbors, Canada and Mexico. At this point, are any means of removal too extreme? What has happened to us? Will our epitaph be "They did nothing."?
Shame on ALL OF US!
4
Two things.
1...I hope Trump will throw caution to the wind and continue having his rallies. It's the macho thing to do. I truly believe his cult trust Trump over the CDC.
2...Having Trump in the White House is the price we have to pay in order to have Melania overseeing the new tennis pavilion and promoting her Be Best challenge.
4
The only thing that President Trump is really good at is making trouble. Do you agree or disagree?
3
Don't forget trump's other concerns: money and adulation.
4
I'd just like to add something to a very well-written - if too terribly predictable - article.
And that THING affects journalists - incl. many whose work appears in the NYT more than anyone (as a group.)
DJT would have been a disaster at any point in either his life or the United States' life. But Twitter has made this very bad situation very much worse.
I know "prohibition" has a poor history - and the jury is still out on isolation or quarantines as a health measure (esp. - as I'm reading more and more - when one tries to factor in how many lives would/will get lost if our economy screeches to a halt.)
But - as with Facebook - if enough smart people recognize that the horrible downside of Twitter far outweighs any possible personal or societal benefits … and act accordingly - last I heard, you can STILL "sign off" from both platforms - we'll have a markedly better country & world.
This is not trivial or Luddite, by the way. More and more people are recognizing that "tech" is just "science" amped up.
Remember "Better Living through Chemistry?!" Not sure if it was Dupont's slogan, but it might well have been. DDT, napalm, Teflon, thalidomide - there are probably a few others making anybody's list of counter-examples!!
Ditto tech in 2020. Yes, I ask my "little round device" 3 times a day or more for the weather, but it's not just privacy "nuts" who ask, "What's in it for Amazon? Do you know or care? SHOULD YOU?"
Twitter didn't make DJT crazy, but it spread his virus!
5
President Trump is unfit for ANY crisis, not just this one.
11
The International Federation of Banana Republics has petitioned the U.N. to revoke the U.S.'s membership. The IFBR President said "We simply cannot permit membership of countries that are so blatantly incompetent and corrupt. Once they learn to be more subtle about these things, we will consider allowing the U.S. to re-apply for membership."
4
I am totally supportive of trump holding rallies with his base. They can whether COVID-19 is fake news. Go for it, Republican trump followers!
4
Another thing that stuck out to me in that press conference: Pence referred to people with Covid-19 as "being dealt with." Seriously? That guy has a speech writer whose whole job is choosing words carefully. Couldn't we say "cared for"? "Treated"? Even "monitored"? It really shows how callous the "pro-life" Republican administration is about our lives.
7
President Trump did not take the medical pledge "to do no harm" in medical school. He did not attend medical school.
Medical experts on the WH committee did take the oath and are silenced or forced to downplay the facts by the President.
The Hippocratic oath has evolved over the years.
The latest revision in 2107 was approved by the World Medical Assoc. Here is one line item from the updated pledge of many.
"2017: I will not use my medical knowledge to violate human rights and civil liberties, even under threat."
If our President and Vice President are preventing/"threatening" MDs on the Task Force from telling the WHOLE truth about the reality of this virus-- then clearly two things are happening. I'm not an expert obviously but it seems like common sense to me.
1- the Hippocratic oath is meaningless on the largest scale imaginable 2- Abuse of Executive power as defined by our Constitution.
MDs lying by omission even "under threat" are a grave danger to us too. Period.
Also, what about the Constitutional checks and balances on the Executive branch during an epidemic? Public Health is clearly a part it.
The Corona virus epidemic is another stress test for our Constitution.
We desperately need guidance and articles now from our Constitutional experts especially those with Public Health expertise, not just partial truths from Medical experts.
SOS !
1
I see approval is up for the GOP and Down for Democrats ,so the DNC want's to throw the left side of the party under a bus for there FDR views, looks like a repeat of last time. Trump is a pice of work for all the world to see yet his base love the guy or hate Democrats more! We would be better off if the media would just shut Trump off.
1
For such a germaphobe, Trump is being a lightweight on this. What if one of his Mar-a-Lago employees contracts the virus?
I'm over 60 and just rode on a plane. This weekend is post-hockey season for some. Do I go to a game? Do I go to church? I have to go to get groceries. How do I feel about people touching produce? How paranoid should we get?
It's ironic everyone is finally practicing the personal hygiene your mother always nagged you about.
2
Ok, let's boil this down. We have some sort of global health issue. We can't say it's a crisis because we don't know. We can't determine transmission rates or mortality rates because we don't know how many have contracted the disease. And given that many may carry the virus but exhibit no symptoms, or have nothing but what they believe is a cold and don't see a doctor, then we may never have an accurate count of cases (true for the flu as well). But right now we don't know.
Second, this originated in China in a highly densely populated area -- and has spread globally.
So how is this crisis in any way Trump's fault? There is no way that Trump could have stopped the outbreak in China or the spread across the world. He did stop flights from China and right now -- we're doing much better than countries like Italy or S. Korea and we have huge numbers of people who come here from China or go there and come back.
In all likelihood , if we had shut all borders blah blah blah as soon as we knew China had an epidemic that could spread -- we would already have carriers here and the number of cases might not be much different than now.
So, if as is likely it turns out that this is more like the annual flu and not the end of the world -- what will lefties like you find next to bash Trump with?
I see multiple opinion pieces in the Times bashing Trump -- this is nothing but politics absent any facts or thought.
1
“President Trump is unfit for this crisis.”
THAT, by now, in surely a given.
FACT, “alt-fact,” or whatever.
A more critical issue is the extent to which any of US,
ourselves, as well as with others, given WHO, and WHAT
each of US is - self- created, as well as Identities
ascribed by others, and ranges of role related Behaviors
in diverse environments, settings, events, with available and
accessible, internal and external resources, or not; WHO and
WHAT we are likely not to BE, and WHO and WHAT each of US
may yet BEcome, IS adequately prepared for life’s daily crises?
Man-made, as well as not.
We willingly “collaborate” with the culturally transmitted myths, and beliefs, secular and sacramental, that Certainty, Predictabilty, and Control exist. That “randomness” is just a concept. And that Black Swans and “outliers” are just words. And then, ever so often, UNPREDICTABLY the well known S hits the fan. And words don’t clean up the “ unexpected outcome(s).”
As if “ expected ones” actually could. Would!
Is our human hubris, arrogance and certitude predictable?
Just an outlier? Random in their presence? Controllable?
Is this the time to explore dimensions of effective crisis intervention? What curriculum? Taught by whom? In what safe-sites?
If so why only 3 deaths outside of Washington State?
@ J Harrod
Probably because we haven’t been testing for COVID-19 outside of people who were known to have travelled abroad or who had contact with those who had travelled.
I’m guessing, if we had been testing for weeks, our numbers would be much higher.
3
he is so unqualified for the presidency it has not only hurt our economy , he' destroyed our relations with other countries and made us a laughing stock around the world. His handling of our health care system has made it harder for people to be able to afford health care and prescription drugs. This is now making this pandemic even worse....#votehimout2020 if we are still alive to do so.
4
Doctors in the media and press are repeating one very important piece of advice:
Ignore Trump. Pay attention to the experts.
5
This will ultimately be a test for the average American. And we will be on our own. Social media won't matter. Twitter neither. Only what our assumption of what we are about to see. And the test is: who do we believe? Who do we trust? Where does the truth lie? When the public sees more and more that epidemiologists, medical specialists, governors etc.. are sounding the alarm loudly, and then contrast that with ostrich Trump, his feel good false bromides and the incoherence of his Administration - our inherent sense of what is correct and what is not will be on the line. USA, can you separate the wheat from the chaff? Can you see our President for who he really is?
839
@Rick Morris Unfortunately, after what I've seen over the last 3 years, I won't be very surprised if the vast majority of Republicans continue to believe Trump's propaganda even after their loved ones die of COVID-19. As always, Trump will simply blame others and say his response was "perfect" and "beautiful", and as always they'll believe him. Hope I'm wrong.
What will get Trump in the end is the economy.
77
@Rick Morris :
Average American? 40% of the country believes Trump in all circumstances, saying Trump is a better POTUS than Lincoln. 40% do not believe a word he says, saying he is the worst ever.
Like one foot on a block of ice, the other in a fire, the average is fine.
20
The NYTimes should adopt an editorial policy of not reporting anything the President says on matters related to the Coronavirus outbreak. They should report that he said something, but then cut to some standardized disclaimer, something like: "Earlier today the President made a long rambling speech in which he commented on his superior intelligence and on the coronavirus outbreak. To protect the public from the public health dangers of propagating misinformation, during the current outbreak it is the editorial policy of the Times not to repeat anything said by the President on this subject. Later this afternoon the CDC reported . . .. "
4129
@Mark
Or they could publish a blank column with the note: This is where we will publish Pres. Trump's comments when he says something useful."
On the other hand, we must hear his words. He is the president. He is being tested. We need to have the record and judge for ourselves
169
@Mark
It helps not to have a television, so I don't have to hear what anyone says, including the president. I get to read it, digest it at my leisure, steam and calm down if need be.. In another article here in the paper, Trump actually had a look of concern
. But, mostly, I'm just staying away from public places and washing my hands a lot, taking sensible precautions against the corona virus.
99
@Mark Agreed.
The responsible thing to do is to not spread rumors or misinformation. When I first got involved in journalism a long time ago one of the central rules I heard repeated is, "We don't report rumors". Just because the rumor or misinformation happens to be coming from the president, that does not make it any more note worthy than from a homeless person sleeping on the street...it is still a rumor or misinformation.
News organizations that treat Trump's random comments as serious are doing a vast disservice to their readers and audiences. They are spreading misinformation that can contribute to hundreds, perhaps thousands or even a million or more deaths.
287
I work for a school district that promises not to close unless ordered by the governor. I’m over over 60, have asthma, and heart disease. There aren’t nearly enough testing kits for Coronavirus to go around, so the CDC and the states have no idea how far the disease has spread. The schools, in all likelihood, will only close when it’s too late. People like me are very likely to pick up the disease in this environment, and it could prove fatal in my case.
How many will die to prop up Trump’s ego, and to prop up his hateful campaign, so that this incompetent person can be re-elected?
4238
@George
I am so sorry for your predicament. I am so grateful to live in a state with a governor who is a "snake" and not a chum of Trump.
My state is at ground zero. The bravado of many red states may go out the door when this virus comes into their senior facilities. But then again, they are "just" old people, not beloved grandparents.
Stay as safe as you are able, George. Godspeed.
414
@George I am in a similar situation. In my case, I am 79 and had a recent medical crisis which leaves me very vulnerable. I have told my wife if I catch this Virus, I will not survive,
174
@George It's a difficult situation. A school district closed near me but how many of those parents still went to work and dropped them off at their grandparents or other location where the kids are closer to an at risk population? It is very unfortunate that the response has been so incredibly poor. I would like them to have enough kits to, for example, test 5% of one large government complex downtown in my city. From that you could get a real sense of an entire area and it's suburbs.
105
Trump is a lightweight president in a world weighed down by heavyweight problems.
1832
@Mark Alexander GB has problems of its own, and as the son of parents from Old Blighty, whose uncle fought in the "Guerre de Quatorze" as an n.c.o in the British Army to help keep the Empire together, who went on, after being "demobbed,"to become a sergeant in the Shanghai Municipal Police in the Concession during the era of the Open Door Policy, I am heartbroken when I see what Britannia has become!
13
@Alexander Harrison "GB has problems of its own,..."
It certainly does! Many of them self-inflicted, too.
"...I am heartbroken when I see what Britannia has become!"
You and me both!
11
@Mark Alexander -- Our reality teevee 'star' -- terrified, when things (finally) start to get Real.
Not to worry -- it's just beginning to warm up, Mr. 'president.'
23
The time has come to ignore Trump. Don't cover him. Don't cover his tweets. Don't report what he says. Don't ask him questions. Don't let him be part of the story. There's a job to be done, so ignore the ridiculous toddler in the middle of the room saying Me Me Me, and talk to the people who matter.
3973
@DJ Yes, fourth estate, please start ignoring him.
111
@DJ Been saying the same thing for the last 3 years.
91
@DJ
mr. dovey here
spot on
1000% right on the money
amen and say it loud and say it proud!
74
There would be a break in the clouds if Trump would use Federal dollars to stimulate the economy. Not wanting to deal with Speaker Pelosi about that, he instead talks about another tax cut which makes the Federal Debt rise like a Zombie. There needs to be Federal dollars spent on health care for all Americans, not making due with a quick fix to get through what appears to be a very serious public health crisis.
3
I'm not a rocket scientist, but I find myself constantly explaining to people why we are concerned about this virus. It's not the same as the flu, that it can overwhelm our health care system, and that it's dangerous for vulnerable populations, you know, like our family members. I can't believe I have to go 'splain it to the President, too. I really want out of this parallel universe.
5
I am very interested to know if Trump or any other quarrantined or potentially exposed officials have been tested and whether they have received ANY prophylactic treatment such as antivirals or immune factors. Given the exposure, what EXACTLY are doctors doing for each. I wager that they are receiving care and attention than the rest of the country cannot hope to expect both now, as testing is still functionally and perhaps politically restricted for so many everyday Americans, and in the future when health systems are buckling under the patient load of critical care patients. I hope journalists suss out these details, share them with the American public and chronicle these disparities as this epidemic unfolds.
4
The title of the article, "Trump is Unfit for This Crisis," made me grit my teeth. In fact, Trump has been unfit for any subject that has come up during his presidency. He can't appoint Cabinet members who are qualified, he can't interact Presidentially with foreign leaders, he keeps firing people who dared to disagree with him, he cannot hear or learn anything from anybody because he is such a genius (not all that stable), he started out not knowing how the government works and when he found out he dismissed the whole notion of co-equal and oversight, etc., we could all go on and on about his unfitness. It will take us a while to reverse the damage he has done to our institutions, our very culture. It will happen and I can't wait.
8
What does this article bring that we haven't heard before or didn't already know? Except for the most loyal fans, everyone who can read understands that Trump is not up to the task. These are times of incredible complexity. Surely there are other aspects of the coronavirus even opinion columnists could explore.
1
VP Pence is actually doing a job. Let’s see how long Trump keeps him in his job. It might all just depend on how obsequious Pence is to him, how many times he praises Trump. Praising Trump has always been the most important trait in the Trump Administration.
I understand that Trump is going out of his way to shake hands even while the CDC warns folk NOT to shake hands. How did we ever go so far astray to have this man in the White House?
I imagine how Barack Obama would handle this. He would be calm, would listen to experts, would tell everyone to follow the experts’ advice and would lead by example. He would work with Governors (no matter their party) and wouldn’t be whining about himself. How far we have fallen.
10
Maybe someone should remind him that most of his supporters are senior citizens, more likely to die from this virus. Maybe then he will take this seriously. Maybe this also will ease the burden on Social Security and Medicare, a positive, no? (I'm a 79 yr old who did not vote for him). Interesting times!
8
Actually, the government press conference yesterday was quite good for those of us who watched it without hatred in our hearts. Trump focused on what he is good at focusing on, which is the economy, and left. He devolved the rest to the scientist and administrators, who were artuculate and precise.
2
So Trump wants to focus on a healthy economy rather than healthy citizens. Sounds to me like a good way to end up with neither.
28
Sorry Jennifer, but truly what person who has any sense of history in the least couldn't have seen a crisis like this one finally raining on this particular Clown parade? It seems almost a given that a replay of the triumphalist agenda of the last 3 Republican Administrations would ,once again, end-up sinking our economy (And that we would all sometime have to pay for the party that was being thrown by this Republican Administration for their wealthy benefactors and corporate enablers).
Truly the only thing missing in the forecast for this particular Clown show's demise was the nature and timing of it's being forced to finally close down. And unlike the Reagan/ Bush and the Bush ll's production, which were called because of worries over mishandeling of our military forces, bankruptcies and hurricanes, Trump's parade is looking like it's going to be called because of mishandeling of a sneaky and deadly virus.
So now, only 3.5 years after it's begun it's noisy, rollicking, squealing, tumbling and misbegotten stage act, the Trump version of the perpetual Republican Clown Parade seems to be finally (and mercifully) coming to an end-At least until next time. So now the rest of us just have to pay for the clean-up.
29
Have President Trump, Senator Cruz, or any of the other attendees of the CPAC conference been tested?
Seems like that would be good information to have - and to release to the public.
17
People bring up good poinst about the seasonal flu - so many people die. 2018/2019 was a record year and yet Trump has drastically cut CDC funding, health care, science and research, and infectious disease response units. Millions have been thrown off health care and have no access to health care while the Trump administration is challenging the individual mandate that could unravel what remains of the ACA.
In fact, I see an association with the rising number of flu deaths and Trump. And now we have a pandemic of Covid 19 that is extremely contagious and where there is no herd immunity. The velocity of the spread is terrifying and this when we also have the deadly flu virus simultaneously. This is truly truly scary.
We are unprepared.
We are under informed.
We are immensely vulnerable.
Trump and his sycophants are unfit to lead in this time of crisis.
42
Isn't perhaps one of the fundamental questions of our civilization, how do the Murdochs, who with their Fox News and similar publications that gave us Trump, deceit and science denial and all the rest, believe that they can continue to profit from their global incitements? How long can their isolation in their wealth protect them from their created consequences?
And, if they refuse to desist, what is the role of liberal democracies in protecting against them in this era of information isolation?
20
Perhaps an investment in something approaching the educational standards befitting a developed country. Democracy rests on a foundational citizenry of well-rounded skeptics yet US educational policy seems content to churn out hordes of ignorant worker bees for the minimum wage economy.
5
Wonderful article by Jennifer Senior. How sad is this when the world cannot believe the words of the President of the United States ! Shocking is not dramatic enough to describe this.
28
Most CEO-types are unfit to deal with real science and medicine issues, and Trump is exemplary of the worst of the lot.
That being said, with a possibly three week latency period, an asymptomatic person in a densely populated area could infect 12 people in a few days, who go on to infect 144 in, oh let's say 7 days, to be conservative. The numbers get enormous very quickly, certainly three weeks isn't even necessary for that.
The burgeoning human population couldn't simply go on the way it has without this happening. I could talk for some time about deadly drug resistant fungal infections that can be tied directly to widespread agricultural practices.
What science and medicine offer are quality of life, not eternal life. When folks go out to vote, maybe start thinking about what candidates offer quality of life for more people, not just a few. People need to accept the reality of death and start making better moral choices at the polls. Is is morally correct to destroy the environment, spend grotesque amounts of money on weapons, give tax breaks to the wealthiest and to avaricious corporations? These things, not a virus, are destroying our quality of life. Live every day like it may be your last, because someday you will be correct.
26
With a President who does not believe in science, who does not tell the truth about anything, and who cares more about himself, the stock market, and his re-election than he cares about human life, the U.S. is doomed to suffer greatly in the novel Coronavirus outbreak in the U.S. We need hard data ASAP about the numbers and locations of people infected, hence everyone needs to get tested. Only then will we have a hope of curtailing the spread of this virus. I hope that the few scientists remaining in the administration stand up and do what needs to be done and say what needs to be said, without fear of recrimination. Only truth will set us free.
26
Absent of widespread testing, the only way to save a lot of lives may be to impose a total lockdown, like Italy has done. But Trump has made clear such a move wouldn’t be in his personal interest.
9
We have had a public health crisis since Trump came into office on that horrible day in 2017. Doctors and patients have and are being attacked for prescribing for pain medications, leading to state sanctioned torture of chronic pain patients; doctors losing their licenses and all previous pain research being ignored in this new "War on Drugs" in our healthcare system.
I suspect that this is not evidence of any concern over "opiates" but an attempt to reduce the cost of providing care for people in pain.
There have been cuts to all social programs, but especially to those that serve the children and the poor, ie Medicaid, food stamps, etc.
This "conservative" administration is doing what they always do, transferring wealth to the top while taking i the cost out of regular citizen's hides. And all they can think of to do is give more tax cuts and further reduce the government's funds of operation.
Get ready for more austerity
17
It is bad enough when those poisoned by propaganda insist on voting enthusiastically against their interests. Now we have millions willing to die for the chance to stay in Plato's cave, gazing at the shadows on the wall. When I called my elderly parent to share that the college where I teach is hurriedly preparing to shift to all on-line delivery should the virus become wide spread, the response was that the real problem was the media giving the epidemic too much coverage. Seeing trump's unfitness for office on full display is not why people tune in to Fox. They certainly do not tune in for the truth, or anything resembling responsible journalism. The poison propaganda has turned deadly.
31
Unfortunately too true. I see it up here in my very red Fulton County (Upstate NY).
11
- Donald Trump is all about Donald Trump first (and only).
- OK, once the government and corporate America realize this commenter has decided we should have more manufacturing, it will happen.
5
Epidemiologist Nicholas Christakis's lab estimates that "35,000 Americans will die from the coronavirus this year."
And I read that the highest risk group are the elderly (65+).
Well, both of those statements do little to comfort me since my husband and I are well into the 65+ age group. He is British and he has always maintained the mantra "Keep Calm and Carry On". I guess that comes from his parents who lived in London during the war.
The only "positive" (and I use that word with great care) in this entire nightmare is that more and more people are realizing and seeing that he who shall remain nameless IS "incapable of leading". I do not believe that "truth, decency and self-possession have been in quarantine" since January 2017 because those qualities NEVER existed in the man. It just that a lot of the country is beginning to figure that out or to finally see what so many of us have already known from jump street.
23
Unfortunately there is a significant part of the population who thinks the virus is a Democratic hype to remove this President. They are lost. The only way out is for the (also significant part) to VOTE and VOTE DEMOCRAT. Whoever is the nominee, on very level of government. At this point there is no Republican Party - they are the Party of Trump and they need to be excised from the body politic for this country to survive.
19
@Maxi
Could not agree more. The first words out of the mouths of Trump AND Mulvaney were that this virus is not only fake news but a plot to blame, shame and remove Trump from office during the elections.
Remember in November - vote BLUE no matter who.
5
@Marge Keller, well said. Please take good care. We’ve canceled our vacation for spring, and are staying home as much as possible. I have absolutely no trust in 45. He’s incompetent.
3
I don’t think Mr Trump has any idea how to deal with this one: Covid-19 does not vote, or have a Twitter account. It doesn’t mind being called “sleepy” Covid-19, or not being as tall as Mr Trump. However, it is remarkably efficient at crashing the stock market and making Mr Trump panic about next November. It would also be very enthusiastic to attend Mr Trump’s political rallies.
35
The daily "news conferences" are mostly geared toward telling the public what a great job trump is doing. The White House press core does not seem to be challenging that view - I have not heard one reporter ask why we are a month behind South Korea with regard to testing and why the task force was only formed two weeks ago.
17
By Ms. Senior's standard, we should believe that Joe Biden, who can't stand up for two hours for a debate and can't get a sentence out coherently, would be just the ticket for dealing with the virus. I don't think that's going to sell.
5
I am not worried about Joe. He will pick a competent cabinet and a vice president that will support him. He will listen to his advisors and experts.
55
@SCLib
I agree. While Joe Biden may not be "the smartest guy in the room" being in the White House is not his first rodeo. He DOES know how to listen and ask questions and decide based on solid and sound intel and advise.
Sure Joe Biden has his faults. But at least his heart, mind and goal is to help and protect the American people.
HUGE difference between Trump and Biden.
47
@Ulysses It has to sell. Let's hope he has the wherewithal to get Elizabeth Warren as his running mate. Shrill or school-marmish notwithstanding, she has the knowledge and intellectual rigor to fathom this mess. Biden wants to be President because it's his turn and the acme of being well-liked.
1
Trump and the Republicans are not a governing body.
They are in office to serve the wealthy class.
Accept that, be less frustrated, and vote.
29
Very pertinent analysis. Beautifully and masterfully done.
10
Guys, we are on our own with this in terms of help from the federal government. We need state and city government, working with enormous help from private industry / philanthropy to get things done. For example, Bill Gates is looking to issue testing kits to all in Seattle. Here in NY, we have very very wealthy industry, they need to step up now. Look at what Italy is having to do. This is not a game and steps must be taken ASAP. The experts say school closings are effective if done in time. What are we waiting for? When health and other systems get overrun, it will be more disruptive than closing schools. We have weeks if not longer of community spread here. Please stop saying this is overblown. The infection rate is such that the numbers are periodically doubling, and the period is not that long, like days. Let's slow that down through non medical interventions like school closings which experts have noted are effective.
16
Nailed it.
9
Ignorance is NOT bliss when you are the President of the United States of America.
13
I hate to break it to everyone but Trump IS a (the) crisis!!
29
@TvdV 100% true
2
Every time the NYT or other news outlet gives platform to the view that Trump is an “autocrat”, they lose credibility and make the “liberal media” narrative plausible. It’s a baseless assertion and makes the NYT look ridiculous.
3
@Kyle do you realize that you are in the 'Opinion' section? Yes, it would be more accurate to refer to Trump as a would-be autocrat. So far the institutions of our government have held him somewhat in check.
3
Kyle, it is hardly baseless. He transferred funds allocated by Congress for specific parts of Defense spending falsely claiming an emergency. He mostly appoints only "Acting" cabinet ministers to avoid confirmation in the Senate. He broke the law, according to the GAO, by freezing funding for Ukraine. The list goes on and on. These are the actions of a dictator trying to move our system towards autocracy. Putting unqualified family members in positions that they use to benefit themselves financially. Attacking the free press constantly and referring to opposition party members as traitors. What element of being an autocrat is missing.
5
@Kyle
Strongly disagree. Of course he is an autocrat. He literally says things like "I alone can fix it".
Only an autocrat gets away with the following.
" ...at the C.D.C., Trump told reporters that tests for the coronavirus were now available to anyone who needed one. Yet just afterward, we heard from governor after governor and doctor after doctor that this is categorically untrue, with states in dire need of more tests. “We have no local testing available,”
Thee are the falsehoods only an autocrat would attempt.
At this cabinet meeting to this tin pot despot. it looks like North Korea:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JCMigZq0_zE
They all sit around grovelling. That was ridiculous- not the NYT.
4
Please revise headline:
President Trump Is Unfit. Period.
His narcissism is a grave danger.
18
Enough of this focus on Corona Virus! “How’s your 401K doing?” Said the Trump supporters.
13
Looking at this photo makes me think he must have foregone his scotch tape.
7
"this crisis has unhelmed and unmasked him. He's incapable of leading." You've only just reached this conclusion? The handling of the Puerto Rico hurricane disaster wasn't exactly a case study in leadership. How sad that the wake-up call is that we are all threatened economically and health wise, rather than a bunch of offshore, brown skinned "non Americans." Still, better late than never. Now if only his craven enablers would reach the same conclusion.
21
This is yet another disgusting attempt to lay blame on Trump as to a global disease originating in faraway China. There is literally no basis for this in light of the fact that this disease impacts the globe and is transmitted by essentially any human to human interaction and at the present moment is impacting the US much less than probably any other similarly situated country (i.e., countries with huge population centers full of affluent people who travel abroad regularly and which are major international traveler destinations). It seems to me the goal of the media is now to hype this thing for more clicks and a greater chance of unseating Trump. Given that people are now disproportionately scared as a consequence of these types of articles with severe down range consequences involving massive suffering, this conduct is inexcusable.
3
@Bob do you think that the Moon Landing was a hoax, too? The criticism is for Trump's complete lack of leadership and for being unprepared. It was Trump, after all, who, in 2018, fired key officials responsible for pandemic response. Yes, the numbers in the US appear low, but that's because the administration can't even ramp up production of test kits. Maybe he'll toss out more paper towels instead.
13
No one is blaming Trump for this disease. He is however reacting and handling it poorly. He’s once again demonstrating his lack of ability to lead.
4
As disgusting as Trump trying to blame Obama for America’s lack of readiness even though he cut the budgets and fired the heads of departments that dealt with disease and pandemics? Why because Obama had added to their budget or created extra government departments dealing with healthcare. As we all know Trump is obsessed with eradicating anything Obama got credit for.
No one I think in their right mind blames any government for the Coronavirus. We do find fault with governments who place their political ambitions over public safety. The Trump government has been slow to appreciate the seriousness of the disease and refused to prepare America and it’s healthcare system in a timely manner.
Now that is disgusting. I hope you avoid getting ill and thus are able to keep your high opinion of Trump’s handling of the inevitable pandemic.
3
I find it more interesting that Ted Cruz has now gone into self-isolation, saying that we should believe the science. A glimmer of hope perhaps if he and so many Trumpists start believing in the science of global warming/climate change.
9
"The President is unfit..." That's a broken record that has been playing over and over since President Trump announced his candidacy. Yet he has proven his critics wrong over and over. "Donald Trump will never be president," "Donald Trump is unfit to be president," "The White House is Just chaos, Donald Trump will not finish out his first year," Donald Trump is mentally unfit." It's like a challenger to the heavyweight champion of the world who got knocked out in the first round or two, but keeps wanting a rematch. Will someone bump the stereo, so the rest of the song can play?
3
When 15,000 are dead? 50,000? 100,000? 1MM? Pick one.
2
Time to invoke the 25th Amendment?
13
Don't Test. Don't Tell. That has been the policy to date.
24
When I was a child a vaccine was developed for polio; all school children were immunized for free at school. There was no question about "how to afford it"'; no child was allowed to go without. That was when there was a "public" in public health. That was before the Republicans told control of the federal government.
We have been heading towards this crisis or one like it for forty years. The Republican party is not your friend. They are a wrecking crew, or if you prefer, an army of termites eating away at the foundation that holds the structure of civil life together. They have made a virtue of selfishness. They have demonized the most vulnerable members of our society while sucking the value out of the commons.
This is the leading edge of the outcomes of their destruction of democracy, but it is neither the worse nor the most deadly. They have filled us with cynicism, so we shrug our shoulders in place of communal action when they weaken our government.
This virus will come again in other forms as the world dies from climate disruption. There is no more holding it back. It is here in the form of rising sea level, dead zones in the oceans, natural disasters of all types, migrations from war zones and droughts, and - yes - new infectious diseases.
And what do they do? The Republicans lie, just like Trump, and deflect and blame without even considering taking positive actions to address or ameliorate risk.
Voting Republican is killing us.
25
@nora m
I lived through those same times.
The difference for me and my siblings was my mother at 8 months pregnant got Polio.
As children we were inoculated against all known diseases
2
I am not a Trump supporter, but not everything in this world is about Trump. Trump doesn't run Italy or China.
3
@L But he takes no real action, like China and Italy did. He rejected the tests offered by the World Health Organization. No one who cares about people would refuse tests. He doesn't want tests, he said so at the CDC, he wants the numbers where they are. People will die, but its his numbers he cares about.
6
@L Trump doesn't run the US Government, either. But he should - that's his job!
4
@L True. Unfortunately, he runs the US where the response to the coronavirus is making the whole world cringe.
5
This will be Trump's Waterloo. Get him out of the way and find someone to do some REAL leading.
14
The spectacle at the CDC where Trump speaks nonsense while experts stand behind him just proves further that he is nuts and should be immediately removed to a room well away from anyone. How much longer will this be permitted to continue? Congress? I await something beyond the silence.
12
@David Kannas Sorry, some of us are in self-quarantine and will call you back when we release ourselves.
1
Trump our profoundly immoral President is in power all because of the abortion issue. Abortion is wrong God will deal with it . The GOP/ forced it into our elections and the fake churches we have in America will let everything else climate pollution ,no affordable health care and our free Democracy end over this sad issue. Our founding fathers said you add religion in politics it will destroy us all . They were so right.
15
Donald Trump is facing his greatest crisis: becoming irrelevant.
13
His handling of this crisis is despicable and dangerous. He has no concept of what it means to serve. We hired him for a job and he is failing us. Fire him in November.
19
Reaction to the virus is filled with panic because there are no leaders calming us with facts and common sense. If Trump valued government and experience he'd have called Russia and the Saudis to ask them to stand down with their oil fight, coordinate with China and the UK on how best to help those in need.
Would coordinate with our country's health services and governors about their needs instead of golfing all weekend. Disgusted yet?
NO MATTER WHO, VOTE BLUE.
16
It is ironic that the same people who called a ban on travel to and from China early on was a racist and xenophobic action by the president but are now saying he is not doing enough. As if any human on the planet has the supernatural ability to stop a natural threat to humanity. The press is as much to blame for the widespread panic that has led to shortages of surgical masks and hand sanitizer as are the talking heads who are telling us that the sky is falling in. Get a grip people. It is another type of flu not the Bubonic plague or Ebola. Whatever happened to the only thing we have to fear is fear itself? I am not suggesting that we should not be cautious but enough with hyperbole.
4
trump is doing fine. the media is having a field with an over blown flu. blame the media if you blame any one.
4
@joanna Please do not touch any surfaces if you must go out in public unless you happen to be in the White House. In that case, go for the candy dishes.
5
Sadly this headline is too light and 3.5yrs too late. Every media outlet should be blaring this instead: "trump is unfit for President! Exclamation point!"
6
The best thing that this ineffectual, clueless narcissist can do for the coronavirus outbreak is to disappear, keep his mouth shut, and let the healthcare professionals do their jobs.
9
Excellent column in the Times tradition of blame everything on Trump. Also excellent reason to finally end my Times subscription. This newspapers has lost all sense of objectivity--that's not what I was taught or practiced as a reporter/editor.
3
@Oracle at Delphi He just called Inslee a snake. Whatever you think of our governor, at least he's doing something. Would you agree it's sort of sad we have to rely on a billionaire philanthropist for test kits.
2
As a former reporter/editor, you should recognize a column clearly labeled as “commentary.” By definition, they aren’t meant to be “objective.” They reflect the opinions of the authors.
2
We knew all this before the virus. Why beat a dead horse?
6
“We all have to say: enough.” Oh, please. Every columnist at The NY Times has been saying “enough” since the day Trump was elected. Anything and everything Trump does during this panic-demic will be too little too late too wrong. The nonsensical Chernobyl comparison is especially rich. And now that you’ve said “enough” yet again, what is your practical solution? You. Don’t. Have. One.
5
"Unfit?" Now?
He has been unfit since day one.
13
You were good with just “President Trump is Unfit.”
5
Assume you are right about the disease progression--- --- it still exposes his failed leadership and paranoid " fake news" response. The optics of showing up at CDC with his "Keep America Great" hat is horrible even for his people---The stock market will bounce back some but it will will be difficult to run on the economy ....many indicators will still be in the dumps.
He has given the democrats plenty of "In his own words" moments ----to saturate the airwaves. All in all a net loss....for our leaderless narcissist!!
5
As with every other crisis--climate, inequality, violent racism among the worst of them--the wrong people are in charge. The ignorant, the vile, the preening self congratulatory narcissistic... And sometimes they are all wrapped up in one person.......
7
Unfit period.
6
What a mess this complaint is: half generic disgust, half an effort to transform it into a reasonable warning. Let the President be the one who screws this up, alone, isolated, unmasked by himself. Let warnings mean we care about each other, and let him twist, slowly, in his own wind.
4
When the President closed the borders to Chinese travelers, More Than a Month Ago, he was a racist, right? A forward looking racist is the reason we are not Italy, right?
2
Time to get out the mask
Time for a reality check. Donald Trump is the President. Not HRH. Not Biden. Not Pelosi. And not the NY Times. If you are as afraid of Trump as this author is, lock yourself in your house and wait until 2021. Just how well the President handles this crisis will not be known for quite awhile. Maybe not until it is over. Let us hope he is better than his critics.
2
Your "reality check" is ostrich logic: if you don’t like what you see, cover your eyes. Some reality.
We won’t know anything until it’s over, you say. Nonsense! Would you say the same of climate change, or the civil war? We can’t wait for climate change to "end" before evaluating it, obviously. And, judging by the statues throughout the south, the lessons of the civil war remain still to be learned.
It perfectly reasonable to judge any action by anyone against alternatives and expert advice. Numerous things could be done that aren’t, were done that should not have been, and are being done that shouldn’t be. Namely and respectively: Direct factual communication from the CDC, dismantling executive disease preparedness commissions, and "messaging" via Pence.
8
@cleo You have a point. Everyone is jumping on this guy. My solution is to check the CDC and WHO websites and to search the internet for info from experts like Harvard infectious disease expert Mark Lipsitch and others who explain why Trump's management is worse than anyone could imagine. You'll find Republican medicals officers warning the US window of opportunity for containment is closing fast.
2
I haven't heard a peep from the GOP Senators who recently voted that lying to us was ok... vote blue and get them all out! Country over party!
11
"Never let a good crisis go to waste", said Rahm Emmanuel.
And thats all this is.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that so far this season, there have been at least 15 million flu illnesses for the 2019-2020 season, 140,000 hospitalizations and 8,200 deaths in the U.S.
where was the panic about the flu?
And as for Trumps leadership, the CDC only started counting flu deaths after Trump took office. go look it up. Before Trump was elected, the CDC didnt even count flu deaths.
Walk around NYC. Nobody is scared. NOBODY is wearing masks, aside from the Asians who wear them all the time. im in and out of all the hospitals in Manhattan. Nobody is wearing masks in the hospitals. nobody is ruiing to the Purell stand to wash their hands in a panic.
This is all drummed up folks, just to put you in a state of fear, and think "Oh my goodness, Trump needs to save us!"
Italy didnt close their border right away, like Trump did, and now they are quarantining the entire country.
The greatest decision he made was closing the border before anyone even noticed. And why didnt anyone notice?
He closed it on January 31st, right smack in the middle of impeachment hysteria - another hoax brought to us by Democrats and their media cohorts. Another waste of the public's time.
BTW - Bernie admitted last night he wouldnt have closed the border at all.
The reason? Its racist.
5
@Sports Medicine "And as for Trumps leadership, the CDC only started counting flu deaths after Trump took office. go look it up. Before Trump was elected, the CDC didnt even count flu deaths." I did "look it up". https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/2015-2016.html. Here's one random season from the CDC estimating # of flu illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and, yes, deaths. The same link provides the same charts for seasons, which was started in 2010-2011 (Obama was Pres, if you recall).
Regarding the current season, the #s on the CDC link below is quite different from your post. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm.
From that page"This web page provides weekly, preliminary estimates of the cumulative in-season numbers of flu illnesses, medical visits, hospitalizations, and deaths in the United States. CDC does not know the exact number of people who have been sick and affected by influenza because influenza is not a reportable disease in most areas of the U.S. However, CDC has estimated the burden of flu since 2010 using a mathematical model that is based on data collected through the U.S. Influenza Surveillance System, a network that covers approximately 8.5% of the U.S. population (~27 million people)."
Go look it up. And then calculate the mortality rate vs. coronavirus. You'd be wise to take some precautions in Staten Island.
2
I want The Times to break with protocol and seek out former presidents Obama, Clinton, and Carter for their advice. Calling Trump unfit won't do one bit of good unless he is impeached again and removed by the Senate, or unless a Marine patrol removes him from the White House after he loses the November election. So go over his head and ask some real presidents what they think.
4
Some reporters were just born stupid and they just cant help themselves to put down one of the greatest Presidents this country has ever had.
4
OMG! You mean Trump is a narcissist? Thanks, now I feel smarter.
2
This administration is perfectly capable of gathering up the sick and sending them out to sea, just so the numbers don't look bad. Because that's what matters to them.
They might start with people already in federal custody. Please, New York Times reporters, keep your eyes open.
I sound like a paranoid nut even to myself. But who would have thought the current state of affairs was ever possible?
5
@JustUsChickens Paranoid Nut? I don't think so,there's too much evidence to assign it to paranoia;the more I read facts,the more devastating is the history of the Kochs control of the GOP Congress & their allegiance to corporations instead of People;&only when GOP Congress does Koch's bidding are they rewarded with campaign donations & bought elections;why do the Kochs do it?Because their dad taught them to hate Democracy& its social programs that use tax dollars to help those in need;the Kochs don't pay taxes,they use loopholes & huge donations to hospitals&museums;their dad drilled oil for Stalin in Russia&liked that Stalin just let people starve or freeze to death;the Koch boys had a Nazi for a nanny who returned to Hitler on her own; splains a lot;Kochs/GOP want rule by the wealthy&this is the hardest part to believe;they are against abortion because they will need lots of people to do the work when the oligarchs finally bring back the feudal system;DeVos & other non-christian evangelicals believe they will rule the world in their sharia-like theocracy & they follow steps in novel "Left Behind" to bring about end times;hard to believe, but many books, dark money,stable genius, reveal the dark state is that run by the Koch's, their insitutes that produced fanatics like Barr,Gorsuch,Kavanaugh,all who voted for corporations when people died working with Orcas,or the truck driver who nearly froze to death when truck stalled;gorscuch said he should have stayed with truck.
2
Are we tired of all the "winning' yet?
4
Jennifer Senior...Many Americans tried and failed to point to many obvious personality flaws in toxic thrump with the support from SOS Clinton. The media earned ad dollars to our clear eyed warnings. So now we have a Forever Impeached toxic thrump, citizens united, voter suppression, Republican judges, gerrymandering, no Brown people immigration walls, White Power Terrorists, denial of Coronavirus and your opinion. Let's hope we voters will just VOTE Biden Blue 2020.
6
Donald is unfit for any crisis!
6
Trump is unfit...period
7
“What’s so frightening — so hideous — is that our president is least equipped to do just that. This crisis has unhelmed and unmasked him. He’s incapable of leading. When it comes to Trump, truth, decency and self-possession have been in quarantine from the start.” As we say here in The South: ‘Bless your heart.’ You’re just now figuring this out? Or is this another warning most people who don’t read the NYT will willfully ignore, as they desperately search for ineffective masks, touch their faces repeatedly in fear, forget to wash their hands more than once a day, and hoard more toilet paper than the Blue Man Group uses in one show?
4
I fail to see any newsworthy "news' here.
It has already been well established that Trump is a liar who is unfit to lead. Only his sycophants remain and I doubt they'll read this or any other column in this paper.
6
What a pathetic excuse for a mature adult and a leader. Unbelievable.
4
Trump had no difficulty tweeting, appearing on Fox News every morning, putting refugee children in cages and unleashing the forces of hell on defenseless refugees when his crisis du jour was the so called caravans headed for the southern border. His so called leadership now is characterized by: non-existent clarity and coordination between government entities, denial and lies about the impact of the virus, shortages of essential supplies needed by frontline medical professionals and perpetual victory laps for himself. There is nothing about this president’s handling of this crisis that promotes confidence in his competence by Americans who are not one of his supporters. Trump has never pretended to be POTUS for all Americans.
5
We all knew this three years ago. Where were you?
5
We all know it's Obama's fault. Isn't everything with this administration?
3
The Republicon Party is 100% RESPONSIBLE for allowing a person with his background to become a candidate for POTUS.
In the aftermath of this seemingly endless reign of destruction the Republicon Party of Pootin shall CEASE to exist. NEVER FORGET the Republicon Party'$ willingness to betray our country to move up in their miserable careers, and END democracy via our courts. NEVER FORGET.
9
"When it comes to Trump, truth, decency and self-possession have been in quarantine from the start." No. Not to picky, but they never existed so there is nothing per se to quarantine.
7
it is not news that Trump is unfit for presidency in a crisis....I would argue even without a crisis unless we want to make the presidency a figurehead. What dismays me is the willingness of those public health professionals who are now facing a career defining crisis and have decided instead to cater to the baby in chief. Time for the grown ups to stop catering to narcisist and do their jobs.
12
It doesn't stop at him. Consider Gaetz, perhaps the most beautiful illustration of karma in action I've witnessed in my lifetime of observing politics closely.
His little stunt with the gas mask --which was, despite the calculated protestations to the contrary, designed to mock the response to the virus and make fun of those concerned--has already come back to bite him. He doesn't deserve to get sick, but certainly deserves a lesson in humility.
It cannot be said often enough or in a greater variety of situations and contexts: This GOP has been a catastrophe for the nation. With a sensibility mired in indifference (at best) and outright animus and ill-will (routinely) for millions of citizens, it has practiced the politics of greed and selfishness until those forces have become entrenched and shaping forces.
We are ill-prepared for this crisis as the direct result of most of their policies. Their blind refusal to give us universal, affordable healthcare and living wages and their routine, habitual mockery of science, medicine, data, and the truth has created the perfect storm for this virus to explode.
The disease is the symptom of an underlying malaise. It's time we held those accountable for fatally bad politics and practices accountable. Vote them all out come November and then insist on a higher level of civic engagement.
23
Try convincing the almost 40% of voters who consistently support the dishonorable incompetent because he is dishonorable towards those they dislike--everyone else. Does that tell you that a sizable percentage of adult American voters are incapable of making a thoughtful, careful and knowledgeable choice for president ? and cannot tell the difference between entertainment (The Show that Trump MC'd--the Apprentice) and the serious decisions that a president makes as to what the national government can do to protect a decent quality of life for Americans in the 21st century ?
14
You say the mortality rate could wind up to be 1%. I just listened to an American expert on British television and he said if it's 1%, which is 10 times higher than flu, and 3 times more infectious that flu, the mortality rate will be 30 times higher than flu. Spanish flu numbers.
4
A elderly lady at one of Trump's performances asked him for advice about her friends and relatives who criticize her because she supports Trump. That's like asking the Devil how to deal with the Devil.
3
Quite apart from Trump’s utter callousness and incompetence, can anybody explain why so many Republicans apparently believe they won’t get sick from COVID19?
Deliberate rejection of evidence? Inaccurate and incomplete information from their preferred sources of news?
Cognitive dissonance that they cannot easily manage?
What else??
One other question: what is the responsibility that rests with Trump supporters if they ignore expert advice about how not to spread COVID19 and then others near them get sick? Aside from the moral failing, any legal ramifications? I don’t think so, but I can imagine that others might wonder about it.
Or: even if they believe the experts’ statistics and advice, should we conclude that they really do not care about anybody except themselves? Full circle back to the narcissistic president?
4
Sorry Trump. You can't gas light an epidemic. Especially when it's global and other countries are telling the truth.
9
I wish the media would remind people to wash their hands and if you are at risk, take precaution. Otherwise, wall-to-wall coverage of this manufactured hysteria has got to stop.
5
@Jasphil The problem is that Trump has blocked our access to information so no one knows what to think.
I find that fear justified. It's like we're trying to drive blindfolded.
1
This is what happens when America decides to reject science and run on nothing but hot air for years on end. I blame Trump but also the huge group of Republicans who've refused to control him.
13
Donald Trump may have to be the first president we know of to be arrested like a common criminal while in office.
Americans at large may be terrified of the notion, but it is either him or us. Grow up Americans. This is not a normal.
9
I have heard the MAGA crowd already saying what do you expect Trump to do, that it isn't his fault, that the media "is blowing this out of proportion" (I wonder what they are going to feel in the oil patch states when suddenly their boom goes bust with 30 buck a barrel oil), that he inherited a mess from Obama (and try telling them that he slashed NIH and CDC spending and got rid of the pandemic team from the NSC, and they will tell you 'well, you know, those are nothing more than bloated bureaucracies that don't do anything".
It is very easy to see what kind of clown this chump is, do some comparisons. While not the greatest of leaders, Bush II got on tv to reassure the country about what was being done, he said we all need to pull together, that the enemy was hate and fear, he tried to reassure people. When 9/11 happened as much as a sleazeball as he was, Giuliani did much the same with people in NY, he of course grandstanded (and then tried to extend his reign), but he also provided leadership.
Trump? No new conference, no TV speeches, nothing, instead he tweets like a deranged 14 year old. "This is a hoax", "Fake news is creating this, it isn't real", "I know all about viruses, my Uncle is an MIT Genius", and now, of course "the fake news media is trying to infect me with it". And what does he care about? That people are getting sick?That the economy is cratering and people are scared? The bloody stock market and cutting corporate taxes more.....
4
If the Corona virus lasts until the fall I can easily see Trump using this as an excuse to call off the elections indefinitely.
8
The real problem is not the "Unfit President" but the people who still believe that the "best Government is No Government". And when they are asked to vote they will vote. If this is the case, democratic voting is not the best instrument because it becomes self destructive!
5
Trump risks our lives and sovereignty to boost his re-election prospects. We are all Ukraine now.
6
Anyone over the age of 30 has seen viral pandemics before. What we haven't seen is the unbridled panic from the media being propagated to effect an election.
Wash your hands thoroughly and stop reading, clicking and viewing the hyperbolic electioneering.
2
Let’s hope that the only “numbers” that really count, those cast in November that unequivocally show that we’ve had enough of this incompetent and dangerous rule by a raging narcissist, bring this dark era in our national history finally to an end. VOTE every Trump Republican out of office!!!
7
I have to say the Coronavirus is good for something after all, especially now with the warning for seniors to stay away from large crowded gatherings. A bat mitzvah party my wife and I have been invited to after the ceremony is at LA Live near the Staples Center here in LA. The place is crowded, parking is horrible and obscenely expensive and it's generally a ear blasting nightmare of an experience getting down there and now thanks to CDC recommendations we don't have to go. Thanks Donald.
3
Maybe he will resign for the good health of the country. Well, he wouldn't do that because of his inflated ego. Democrats already impeached him, and now he free of that issue. How much more damage he will cause between now and November, really January 20, 2021 is not known. I am in the category of over sixty with underlying health issues. I hope to see the election of the new president to restore my and the nations confidence in the leader at the top of the totem pole.
2
"This crisis has unhelmed and unmasked him. He’s incapable of leading."
This is not news! Most of us have known this since BEFORE he was elected. The people who need to accept this are the 40% of Americans who still view him as an acceptable leader. Incredible!
7
I saw this headline and all I could think of: Dah!!
Really, that is all I thought.
I have been been waiting for an emergency for this guy to deal with, I'm glad it's not a nuclear war with Iran or N.K.
5
Trump was always unfit for the presidency. Period.
9
Trump is absolutely the worst president in American history! How many Americans will die needlessly because he and his administration did nothing about the Coronavirus for December, January, and February (THREE MONTHS)!!!
7
What I find odd and disturbing yesterday is during the press conference, Pence had to frequently say things like "thanks to the president's great leadership."
What are we, North Korea now, where we need to give the dear leader praise every 5 seconds for doing his job? Trump didn't even do anything this weekend. Trump delegated responsibility to Pence who proceeded to delegate it to a qualified Obama appointee.
Trump is like the C student who gets praise anytime he doesn't get a D or an F, but make not mistake, his current efforts aren't even worthy of a C grade.
11
Not sure which is worse, the president's ignorance or the media's incessant fearmongering. Politicians and the media deserve each other. Thanks a lot.
2
This admin and the entire GOP can lie and cheat and make up stuff all they want. They can't manipulate the outcome of this, period. When the old and the sick start dying, perhaps the science deniers will wake up, if not there's always hope they will get sick themselves.
2
Thank you for stating it so well Jennifer Senior! It is so sad to see the low point where our great country has sunk!! We used to make fun of "banana republics"!! Now we are devolving into that state!
5
Trump is spending $8.3 billion to combat this COVID-19 hoax.
That much money for a hoax!
Maybe that’s why Trump is always bankrupt — from his casinos to his marriages to his morals.
4
About 1,000 people per week in America are still dying from the opioid addiction crisis, which was a recent target of media hysteria, but seems to have been all but forgotten because of the progressive media's incessant need to stoke hysteria and fear in the populace. The hysteria of the moment is Covid-19. Unfortunately for you media types, you'll need to find something else to stoke hysteria about within the next 60-90 days. What will it be? I don't know, but I'm sure whatever it is will be Trump's fault, too.
3
Trump is unfit.
As is the Republican Party.
10
May one be facetious when we are faced with problems that have global reach?
I answer yes, attempting rational analysis of looney's tunes is impossible.
Could we send lighter than air balloons up in the air with the President's latest utterance printed on them or perhaps even better messages in bottles that will be carried around the world to arrive on ever higher shorelines because climate change was just a hoax.
Forgive me. For a more serious take, read Reader and Times Pick Mark in Seattle with 1137 recommends. Mark,the Times should have adopted your proposal long ago. Never too late.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
2
Well said. It is difficult to understand Republican support for this president, unless Money is everything, especially to the "christians" supporting him. Oh, but wait, the money is . . . going away. Whoops!. Well, Missouri is one of the states with primaries today . . . better get going and vote for Biden, though I regret that we only have two white septuagenarian men to choose from. (Well THREE if you count Trump. Geez, millennials, Get with it!)
2
..... or any crises.
The politician fears to displease, / but fear feeds into death by degrees; / partisan banalities / cause career fatalities— /
Corona is a culling disease.
2
Trump is unfit. Period. Anything else is superflous.
5
Jennifer Senior's last sentence says it all!!
2
The only grave danger to the authors health is her severe case of TDS, it's not Trumps fault she's suffering from Trump Derangement Syndrone.
2
The official Republican Leadership in Government checklist!
W: Crash of 2008, Hurricane Katrina, two wars (still ongoing).
T: Crash of 2020, COVID-19, Impeached.
Missions Accomplished.
7
The same people who want open borders are decrying Trump for his rapid response in January. They cry xenophobia and racism.
The people who dump on Trump offer none of their genius plans.
How about the politicians since the 1990s who’ve sold us out to communist China? China makes 97% of our antibiotics.
The major communist rag paper yesterday said that Cni a should stop exporting antibiotics to America.
In other words, they want to kill millions of Americans.
2
And how would handle these events so much better Ms. Jennifer Senior?
2
How does this information about Presidential leadership get through to the citizens who live in parts of the country dominated by Fox News?
7
May one be facetious when we are faced with problems that have global reach?
I answer yes, attempting rational analysis of looney's tunes is impossible.
Could we send lighter than air balloons up in the air with the President's latest utterance printed on them or perhaps even better messages in bottles that will be carried around the world to arrive on ever higher shorelines because climate change was just a hoax.
Forgive me. For a more serious take, read Reader and Times Pick Mark in Seattle with 1137 recommends. Mark,the Times should have adopted your proposal long ago. Never too late.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US
1
Just like Michael Cohen told us.....Trump is a Cheat, a Liar and a Con artist. He has simply conned a lot of people in the Republican party into believing that he is a Christian, he is telling the truth, and he cares about them. Nothing could be further from the TRUTH! I have a brother who is an expert con artist and he could sell ice to an Eskimo! Wake up people before our Democracy is lost to us. Trump and his enablers in the government have put us all at grave risk.
6
I am no fan of Donald Trump's but the panicked reaction to the virus is not realistic - the cornona virus may be highly communicable but its effects on most people are mild. Of course, it can be fatal for patients with weak immune systems.
But according to the CDC, this season's flu has infected between 34 million and 49 million and killed between 20,000 and 52,000 people in the US.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/burden/preliminary-in-season-estimates.htm
Comparatively speaking, there is a significant difference between the flu and the new virus.
I agree with Jennifer Senior that Trump has demonstrated his incompetence in planning for the arrival of the virus in the US.
Any responsible leader will seek information and advice from medical experts. He/she would know that the virus would be coming here and, based on the Chinese experience, could spread quickly before detection.
A wise leader would have worked with medical experts to establish protocol for physicians and hospitals and then roll out testing kits to stop the spread of the virus once it arrived.
Instead this President anticipated nothing and seems to have ignored the facts while viewing any bad news as an attempt to damage him politically.
Only time will tell if the voters recognize how foolish it is keep this man in office
3
Pandemic: Netflix's new documentary about global outbreaks is eerily timed and questions our readiness for fast-moving viruses like coronavirus. It is informative, inspiring – and terrifying
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2020/feb/05/pandemic-netflixs-new-series-about-global-outbreaks-is-eerily-timed-and-moved-me-to-tears
1
I believe that Trump needs to take a long, relaxing vacation on a Princess cruise.
6
Coronavirus is not the correct scientific name. It is CPAC-19.
Ted Cruz spread it on Air Force One. First good thing he has ever done.
3
His basic deficiency in dealing with the virus problem is his unabashed ignorance.
4
his unfitness started a long time before this....
4
On February 29, 2020, Vice President Pence, in a press conference following remarks by President Trump, said the following:
“Let me begin, as the President did, by expressing our deepest condolences to the family of the woman in Washington State who’s lost her life to the coronavirus. I want to assure that family that they’re on the hearts of every American. And those that are continuing to struggle—in some cases, in ICU units—can be assured of the prayers of millions of Americans.”
Lovely sentiments. But a lie. In fact, the President expressed no such condolences. None. He had expressed no sympathy for the sick, the dying, the dead, or their families.
Instead, the President has golfed, attended fundraisers, and spread lies. So many lies. A vaccine is near at hand. The virus is contained. And this astonishing whopper: “[M]y administration has taken the most aggressive action in modern history to confront the spread of this disease.”
At the time, South Korea had tested 40,000 for the virus. The US? Fewer than 500. We still have no idea how many have been infected. The President is more concerned that the Dow Jones Industrial Average may not make it to 30,000 under his watch.
Our President is a sociopath. Please vote accordingly.
7
The truth is to the "Baghdad Bob" twins, Fox News and Republicans, the coronavirus epidemic (soon to be pandemic) is just like climate change.
It's all exaggerated fake news concocted by the liberal mainstream media and Democrats. And then will continuously deny, distract and distort to convince their followers not to believe it.
2
What happened to that book written by Drs of Psychiatry who warned of this deeply disturbed, mentally ill man at the helm of our country? Why is no one talking about narcissism as a mental health disorder? He needs to be removed per the 25th amendment as quickly as possible! And Pence needs to be held accountable for papering over a pandemic! Lies kill people and this shows that!
4
Joe Biden wouldnt even know what was happening.
1
Enough,enough, trump must leave now, right now.
2
When you have to rely on a global pandemic to try and make craven political points, you know you’re on the losing side.
Perhaps you could move to Seoul for the duration?
2
Excellent column Jennifer. Thank you.
3
Sorry America-you broke it you bought it.
2
Thank God we have Trump running this country . Imagine if we had some old geriatric who can not remember his wife let alone his lines.
1
The braggadoccio of shaking hands publicly, declining testing, not promoting safe practices & having the idea that somehow SuperTrump the germaphobe is immune is dangerous. He has no control over a virus.
He denies healthcare to millions. He denies the international cooperation which could help us with testing. After all, no money in it. All those people on medicaid, all those uninsured people who don't qualify for medicaid - yeah, no worries. Go to work.
And what did our great dear leader do yesterday when his buddies who rule Russia & Saudi Arabia contributed to plunging fuel prices in addition to global economic meltdown? Did he call them, exerting his "leverage" he claims to have by being so friendly to these autocratic dictators who are NOT friendly to the USA? No. Nothing. He tweeted excuses.
All the while the Supreme Defender of Unborn Life belittles deaths of older people, people with pre existing conditions. After all, they were going to die anyway. Mike Pence is lauded for having experience with controlling disease -by praying before implementing the advice of health care professionals. After all, those addicts & homosexuals deserve the curse of a disease his god sent to punish them.
May all the attendees of CPAC recover, and remember what it is like to contract a politically charged disease through ignorance and lack of preparation that can be cured but won't anytime soon. Funny how they don't think Mike Pence's god might be punishing them for their cruelty.
3
What?Trump? He's never been a "leader but instead, a crook. He's knocked out by the virus by any comprehension, flat on the canvas.What a sucker.
1
Dear Leader asks why we can't just use the flu vaccine to prevent corona virus. He is a genius, so let's listen to him and immediately vaccinate everyone with whatever vaccine is available. That's sure to help! And even if it doesn't, the virus will miraculously disappear shortly anyway!
So don't worry; just carry on as normal and get that stock market back up so Dear Leader can brag about it again.
3
I disagree. The hyperbole in this screed is astounding. Consider this: "That news conference was, to me, the most frightening moment of the Trump presidency. His preening narcissism, his compulsive lying, his vindictiveness, his terror of germs ... blah blah blah." There is a good job writing fiction or doing screen plays in Hollywood for this writer.
3
the men and women who support him in the White House , and in the Congress, and on Fox news - they are also dangerous; it is their enabling this emperor with neither clothing nor compassion nor intellectual capacity, that is most frightening; it is because of them that he remains in office; #countrybeforepartybeforewhomeverrunsforprez Just vote to get him out.
4
Trump is unfit to tie his shoes. Literally.
5
The nation of Israel has announced they are subjecting everyone who comes into Israel from overseas to a 14 day quarantine. It means that approximately 300,000 people will be quarantined. Will Trump follow suit? Or is the official Trump policy to make sure that the covid-19 virus is thoroughly distributed throughout the country?
3
He is unfit, period!
1
Clearly it is time for Trump to go play golf for the remainder of his presidency, and let some competent, fact-based, pro-science people finish up the term in his place.
3
A picture is worth a thousand words!
1
The stable genius on healthcare.
Here's what the president said, per a White House transcript.
TRUMP: "That's what I said. We want to terminate Obamacare because it's bad. Look, we're running it really well, but we know it's defective. It's very defective. We got rid of the worst part. And that was a very important thing. You know getting rid of the individual mandate was a very important thing.
But we want to get something — if we can get the House, you'll have the best healthcare and health insurance anywhere on the planet. But we have to get the House back.
Now, that means we have to hold the Senate. We have to get the House. We have to, obviously, keep the White House. But, what we're doing is managing it really well.
Now, it's a case; it's called Texas vs. — you understand — it's Texas who is suing. They want to terminate it. But everybody there is also saying, and everybody — we have our great senator from Pennsylvania. Thank you very much, Pat, for being here. (Applause.) And Pat Toomey.
And — but, very important — and our — by the way, our great congressmen, I have to say, they were warriors. Right? Real warriors, in terms of the fake impeachment. I will tell you that. (Applause.)
But, so Texas is trying — and it's Texas and many states — they're trying to terminate, but they want to put something that's much better. They're terminating it to put much better. And they've all pledged that preexisting conditions, 100 percent taken care of.
3
The only person more unfit is Biden. Parents should have him arrested for putting his hands on their children’s faces, hair, and heads.
1
No one is on the public's side in any of it. IMO anyone who is against Medicare 4 all... is just another predatory capitalist who does not care about Main Street... including Jeffries, Pelosi, Biden... Obama, Clinton...
The richest and most exploitive nation in the world can't afford Medicare 4 all and Cuba can? I mean... what is wrong with America.. I know Dumb is fun and Greed is good... and there are malingerers who take advantage of every system. We can afford X number of new stealth bombers but NOT Medicare for all -- and we have that stupid law we just can't change about Medicare NOT negotiating drug prices -- SICK. I am not proud to be an American...
2
Trump is and always has been a liar , cheat and con man.
6
25 for 45.
5
He is unfit for almost anything but a cheap reality tv show or beauty pageant. This is where it leads when you are supremely unqualified and inexperienced for the job you hold. Not even withstanding your psychological handicaps.
3
Jennifer Senior and other columnists really do have to stop promulgating these kinds of opinions in the NYT. It does nothing to address the very serious nature of the coronavirus. Please.
1
Millions of American voted for Trump as a sick, cynical joke, precisely because he is such a malignant boor. Ha ha on Hillary. Then something happens requiring an actual President, as was inevitable. Joke's over, eh.
3
We are wasting time trying to determine if Trump and his administration are telling America the truth………….
With most administrations we assume a high degree of truth…..
BUT
With this Trump crowd we are trying to find the infinitessimally small grain of truth…………
Remember the old truism:
Fool me once shame on you…….
Fool me twice shame on me………..
With this Trump presidency it's more accurately:
Fool me continually by never telling the unvarnished truth and I am the complete fool who deserves a Donald Trump and the misery he portends……….
3
Save your printer's ink: Trump is unfit. Period.
1
"Those in authority [during a pandemic] must retain the public's trust. The way to do that is to distort nothing, to put the best face on nothing, to try to manipulate no one. Lincoln said that first, and best. A leader must make whatever horror exists concrete. Only then will people be able to break it apart.” THE GREAT INFLUENZA
-- Final paragraph, pg 461 John M. Barry's suburb history of the 1918-1920 three wave flu pandemic that killed 35 -100 million people.
2
Queeg on the Caine...Trump in the White House...If ever there was a time for the 25th amenment...
5
Trump Is Unfit. Period. There, I fixed it for you.
2
How long would it take for a 2 percent fatality rate to wipe out Japan which is already depopulating as it is. The temporary solution to this virus is to have more babies.
Coronavirus may as well be designed by Putin to help Trump destroy USA!
1
trump is unfit - PERIOD!
1
Republicans are killing us. Can America survive Trump? If the carnage!
If anyone caught Preet Bharara's recent twitter takedown of Trump, then please refer to what he wrote as my comment and add that Trump has completely bungled the Covid-19 crisis in America to the tenth power!
I respect Jennifer Senior for writing this intelligent opinion piece that fittingly enhances the excoriation Bharara gave him...it's like peanut butter and jelly. Or Trump and Pence: two liars who will co-sign anything the other says or does.
The Trump administration is dying and not of the virus. Of morbid stupidity and confusion.
3
what if he did an LBJ and said that he would not seek re-election in order to focus all of his energy on fighting the virus and limiting its economic damage to the nation and the world?
I'm sure most of us still believe in the truth, the real truth that nobody can deny. So, maybe we are slowly being shown that anybody can try to cover truth with lies/deceptions, but eventually the truth, good or bad, will prevail. There is a power greater than any human being.
1
We all know how disastrous Trump is. The problem is stopping him and fixing this crisis.
The election is eight months away. The damage Trump can do in that time is incalculable.
5
Living in Bellevue Washington, working just a few miles from the epicenter of the US outbreak, the frightening thing are the cracks in our healthcare system revealed by the virus. It feels like the opening chapters of a zombie novel. Few of us trust the words coming from Federal or even State agencies and we are waiting for the other shoe to drop. My wife, daughter and me are in good health and have excellent healthcare, so I'm not worried about us, but my mother in law is elderly with underlying health problems and I have friends with various immune compromising conditions. I'm worried for them. We've got a huge homeless and transient population that is underserved by public services, what happens when they come down with covid-19?
7
This presidency is no longer even entertaining. And the question is whether he might use the crisis, if it is prolonged, and if he doesn't like the polling numbers, to postpone (suspend) the election. Meanwhile, we the public can't rely on the White House to guidance on a threat to us all.
16
I'm 60+; I've been admitted to a hospital emergency room twice; I've taken others needing admittance - different hospitals in different states, on each visit the waiting room was full, filled with people
needing care, some waiting hours and hours for care on ordinary days in normal times... If we test, "our"
numbers go up - not gonna do it. It is impressive how well South Korea has approached their epidemic; it is appalling that in our land of "keeping America great" the one bright spot is a record price for Clorox stock.
10
Of course Trump is unfit, but so is his team. The high risk population is in nursing homes and healthcare facilities for the elderly. I don't just mean high risk in the sense of just catching the virus but dying from it. In nursing homes the primary care doesn't come from highly trained professionals rather it comes from Home Health Aides that in NJ only requires 2 weeks of formal training and state certification. In addition the patients of these care facilities are usually huddled together during the day in cramped areas and meals in a cafeteria settings. There should be a targeted testing and training for all these healthcare facilities across the nation and the deaths will greatly decrease. For many of us that are healthy and younger we will be ok even if we contract the virus, but this frail portion of our society is not. If Trump wants the fatality numbers to go down and fear to subside then he must get his team to focus testing in the right areas.
13
No surprise.
4
This very newspaper is normalizing his unfitness. Exhibit #1 is the reporting of his visit to the CDC.
6
@Joyce Not reporting would be normalizing his asinine actions.
America at war.
4
@MarkmBha
A war against a disease IS a war. Which makes him fully treasonous. He is actively undermining our health for his political gain and literal profit. Remove him from office. Now.
2
You're just now discovering this incompetence?
12
Hey Jenny, stop the politicizing the pandemic, you are adding nothing but more panic.
4
The pandemic was already politicized—by Trump.
6
And who is wearing a cap with a campaign slogan to a press conference at the CDC? Will he wear it should he attend funerals for coronavirus victims?
5
@Jerry Davenport
The truth is not political. Claiming it is makes you guilty of the charge you level against her.
Please learn to live in a fact-based, truth-based world. It matters.
5
Can’t ignore his yellow tie, poised for a deadly strike.
4
I don't mind Trump's terror of germs, as long as it encourages him to take the public health danger seriously. But it's not having that effect He's far more terrified of bad ( but accurate) news that would jeapordize his election.
10
Follow the money
11
@Jo
Bingo. How much you wanna bet he switches from MAGA caps to infectious masks?
1
Amen.
2
What you say is true Ms. Senior but why does the White Hose reporters stand mute when Trump lies and lies. No one put his feet to the fire about one lie after another.
They make him, Trump, go on and on and I get Acid Stomach listning to his insane rambling
New York Times do your job!
17
You should have ended your title after the fourth word, end of story
6
Concur
3
This is the worst possible time to ignore data! The CDC must be able to determine how many people are getting tested and how many people are positive for the coronavirus. It is a travesty that they are not collecting and reporting this data--absurd and obscene.
17
Random thoughts: It is not news that Trump is ill equipped to handle anything more complicated than ridiculing the less fortunate, persecuting anyone who disagrees with him and playing the crowd. He cares little for anything or anyone that does not directly benefit him. He cares for the people and things that do benefit him only as long as they do. He might end up being right about the doomsday nature of COVID-19 being overblown. If he turns out to be right, he will be re-elected and there will be nothing anyone can do to prevent it. He might turn out to be wrong; the coronavirus may explode in America to its full potential. Maybe everyone will be infected (most will recover nicely without ever being tested or treated, many over 60 and/or with a serious health problem will die). Americans are not people to be successfully “locked down”, not in large enough numbers to seriously impede the progress of a virus like this one. We will lose our minds and buy up all the toilet paper and hand sanitizer and bleach as though we could eat them. Life will go on, unless it doesn’t. Trump will play golf until he can’t. Economies won’t collapse, except the ones that do. The rich will survive nicely, except those who don’t. The poor will continue to suffer. The middle class will continue to shrink. Climate change will win, we just don’t know when. There is no saving the world. Things have come too far. There is no one to step in and lead. We're too busy squabbling and waiting for the
2
There is an irony in taking Trump's casual and laissez faire message to heart. The CPAC Convention case in point, the luminaries now in self quarantine due to handshakes and conversations with an infected individual Gowdy, Gaentz, Meadows, Collins had contact with Trump and all shook hands. Now that defiance, ignorance and stupidity will be rewarded with full pay, the best in medical care for the entire family unlike the majority of people who could face evictions, homes or cars repossessed or possibly death. Trump's message has been deadly.
13
the trump government is unfit. period. full stop. This is a highly visible moment, but taking an impartial look at the chaos, disorder, and despicable behavior since 2016 and there is nothing but danger to our health and our country
15
When these Republicans start losing constituents, or their supporters are forced in to quarantine without pay, how will these representatives then live with themselves? It's one thing to play at a Game of Thrones type fantasy political gamesmanship through an impeachment trial. Another when a pestilence wreaks havoc.
6
Like millions of others, I despise Donald Trump. It is a given that he is a liar and twists any situation to serve his narrow and despicable interests. But, it also seems to me that he is - inadvertently - performing at least one useful service in this scenario: he is not spreading PANIC. But when the misinformation reaches a tipping point this could do more harm than good. It could be that I am so inured to his obvious lies that I don't expect anything more of him and look for sources of information elsewhere. Does anyone REALLY listen to Trump?
4
The irony, of course, is that by suppressing information and testing, the virus will spread further than it otherwise might. The effects will impact more of the economy as a result. Trump had a real opportunity here to show that he is up to the job. Instead, he views his role in this debacle as protecting himself. This is your president, America. Wake up.
13
Trump's callousness is beyond compare.His only concern is winning, regardless of the number of bodies he steps on.He started with supporting the opening of coal mines in order to hold onto West VA.He is not beyond lying & stealing.
American values has become a Fairy Tale under his Administration.To think that half the country supports him leaves me with fear that there is no hope for our future.What are we leaving for our Children & Grand Children ?
10
Our President will hold a news conference today apparently. Trump will focus on economic stimulus plans going forward to help our economy during the coronavirus outbreak.
Make no mistake, Trump's focus on the economy at this time is due to HIS NEED to maintain the US economy at levels HE HEEDS for re-election.
While economic stimulus is good so that our businesses do not suffer, right now the lack of accurate facts and government medical response actions is what is needed. Trump can't deliver facts and concern about the health of US citizens because these have nothing to do with what HE NEEDS.Total failure.
And interesting that Trump's two BFF's - Putin and MBS - have decided to ignore HIS NEEDS and start an oil price war. We will have to see how the oil price manipulation currently under way plays out.
Having said all this, if past is prologue, Trump will ride the storm waves and suffer little political damage from the coronavirus outbreak. Nothing has ever really affected him adversely and Trump plows on ahead creating his own reality. To date, Trump has never been held to account.
6
Let's be honest here: trump is unfit. PERIOD.
13
Now we know why it is important for a president to divest himself of business interests. His primary focus is occupancy at his hotels and contrary to the requirements for a leader in the time of CoVid19 . He has one interest only, his hotel empire.
4
The time to act on this was two months ago, Trump was asleep at the wheel and now he is like a 6 year old pretending to be driving.
14
The flu is seasonal. This virus may well not be seasonal. Factor in the mortality rate and the assumption that the corona virus stays with us year-round. Trump's ridiculous handling of this is criminal. In his own words, he didn't want to let the people off the ship on the west coast because it would hurt his numbers of those who have it on our soil, and that's all he cares about.
I agree with you Jennifer, but be prepared, Trump will probably sue the NYT and you over anything that is said he does not like, just like he did to another opinion columnist recently.
Then again, why the hec not, he will sue anyway. He's not only unfit to deal with this crisis, he's just plain unfit.
9
I'm no Trump fan, but if he'd done what China did--lockdown cities and bar travel--he would have gotten blasted by the same people who now blast him for inviting epic disaster, which hasn't yet occurred and is not certain.
China's approach, now emulated by Italy, seems to have been effective. Forget testing on demand and other balderdash: What stops epidemics is drastic, draconian action, the sort of thing dictators do. It is an inconvenient truth, but Cuba, by quarantining people with HIV, was very effective in stopping transmission before science delivered effective drugs.
Bernie embraces Castro while attacking Trump. Be honest: The solution to this isn't universal health care aka Medicare for all, a worthwhile goal no matter what. Trump, Sanders, Biden and all the rest should be suspending campaign rallies and calling on governments nationwide to cancel St. Patrick's Day parades, sporting events, classes, etc. while sealing borders. Unless you're willing to shut everything down for as long as it takes, you are just a pretender, and there are plenty of those beyond Trump.
4
Here in Savannah we have the second largest St Patrick’s Day Parade in the US, it boosts our economy here. I don’t think I will attend this year as it draws people, maybe infected, from all over the country and overseas. I’m an elder with underlying medical conditions. I think this is the smartest thing to do this year.
5
Actually, he's doing a pretty good job. He quickly signed 8 billion dollars in funding. He obviously needs a muzzle and a toy phone, but he's trying to prevent mass hysteria.
3
@Kimbo
Still no tests here in significant numbers (Pence, Pence are you listening). Nor in Oakland where the cruise ship landed (only 75 there as per the major).
3
President Trump is unfit. Period.
"So it is in this spirit that we all have to say: enough."
"We"?
I'd like to know whom Ms. Senior was referencing in her use of "we". "We" must be prefaced by naming those to whom one has referenced by using "We".
Who is the "we" ,and how exactly are "we" going to say:"enough."?!
"Fox News, Republican elected officials, the C.D.C. director Robert R. Redfield — they all need to stop with their fulsome tributes to Trump during news conferences and seize the microphone to help explain how to stem the disease’s spread."
"
What does the author believe will induce Fox News, Republicans elected officials, the C.D.C. director, the experts who have stood silently besides Trump at news conferences even as he spread falsehoods to the American people, and contradicted the experts who were standing beside and next to Trump ?
Who will stop these people?
3
I wonder how many Americans have already been exposed to the virus already and don’t know it?
There has been a nasty, nasty upper respiratory bug going around Michigan since early December. (I wouldn’t wish the bug upon anyone, not even Trump.)
3
Maybe getting the bug would shut him up enough to let a few true experts, and not the smarmy types like Pence or Redfield, take on leadership against the epidemic?
2
Trump is unfit every day in the White House. In a crisis, he is a catastrophe waiting to happen.
7
Trump is insane -- period. He has multiple mental impairments and personality disorders and it adds up to the same thing -- he's insane.
Only an insane person would have put on that ridiculous display of stupid, arrogance, delusion, and ignorance at the CDC last week. And only even stupider and gutless people would have watched it and not grabbed him and said "shut up and let the experts speak." But no one did. His family is too greedy and ridiculous to step in and tell him he's a mental case but there should be at least one Republican somewhere with the guts to say it out loud in public and to say it to his face privately.
16
For the sake of our fragile democracy, we need to exercise social distancing in order to curb the spread of this virus. God forbid we end up with a nationwide lockdown with Trump in power.
2
So? Trump is incapable of leading us through the crisis. And he probably makes it worse through all his lies and obfuscations. All agreed. But is there anything we can do about it? Democrats: forget your differences and vote the charlatan out in November. Until January 20, we're stuck with him.
3
During the past two weeks, the stock market has given Trump a resounding vote of “No Confidence.”
5
The GOP has always been out to "drown" the federal government in the bathtub. This is what that looks like.
7
Trump understands less about medicine than he does foreign policy, economics or simple humanity. Somehow, as always, his response is perfect. He is the lethal combination of stupidity, infallibility and power. When has this ever worked out well for a nation? Large Republican rallies - perfect.
5
What did the Governor of Washington say? Something about trump being just background noise. Yeah.
8
Agreed.
What are his "accomplishments" on this issue? Let's see...
Blaming Obama (really)
Urging those sick to go to work (really)
Refusing to allow the sick off the ship on the grounds that doing so would ruin "his" numbers (overruled)
Blathering about his "very famous uncle" (no idea why)
Opining that he is "such a genius" that he should have been a doctor (if only we'd been so lucky)
Sharing his "hunches" with us (all wrong)
Declaiming that this is a hoax perpetrated by liberals to make him look bad (dear, you need no help whatsoever on this one; you own it)
If this were a SNL skit or Onion piece it would be one thing, but this is the fate of our nation. It's in these hands. Tremble and then do something about it.
It's long past time to invoke the 25th. He was never fit for office, but in a crisis, he's a flaming disaster. Our lives depend on what we do about him. This is a matter as serious as the disease.
15
Do the think Trimp realized the significance of the color yellow regarding quarantined vessels when he wore a yellow tie at his news conference last night?
2
If the CDC was serious, they would suggest stopping flights coming in from all countries, and close the boarders. While congress was impeaching Trump, he limited flights from China, and was immediately called a racist. Ask the CDC if old people should get on a cruise ship with people from 50 countries on it. Ask them if THEY would get on that ship? Should old people take the subway? Ask the CDC.
2
"Trump is extremely narcissistic and unfit for office."
What an epic and controversial hot take straight out of 2015!
5
If Trump has not been tested for this virus (since he has been exposed) then no one should be in a room with him until he IS tested. Why is this not a front and center headline? He could bring down our entire government in three days.
3
@Sarah Not our government. Just the Republicans standing in the way of good government. May not be a bad thing.
We are being told to go to the government virus website.
Set up by the same administration that has been scrubbing scientific data from government websites for the past three years.
Insert your first thoughts here:
3
If this virus follows the projected track it will be catastrophic to a large segment of the population
I hope every Republican who voted against impeachment on party lines hangs their head in shame.
8
He’s unfit, period.
4
Much hand wringing ,yet we must get used to it,this crisis is and will be managed by this president, and it will serve as a lesson for all future presidential elections: elect someone who has served honourably ,has made a valuable contribution to society, and has accepted to take a presidential ability test (something that should be addressed because these debates and hotdogs stomps....:(
2
Trump is unfit. Fixed it.
4
There ’s no data on narcissism virus deaths, but the New York Times is reporting this morning that “more than 114,000 cases of [COVID-19] infection have been reported globally, and more than 4,000 people have died.” So far, COVID-19 has killed 26 Americans.
The United States, meanwhile, has been experiencing a normal flue season this year. According to the CDC, “so far this season there have been at least 34 million flu illnesses, 350,000 hospitalizations and 20,000 deaths from flu.” That’s in the United States alone.
The number of COVID-19 and flue cases are expected to sharply decrease with the approach of warmer rather. The number of deaths are already beginning to dwindle in China, where the COVID-19 virus originated.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/10/world/coronavirus-news.html?
1
Hey, wait a second. "The coronavirus is not our fault," says Donald.
Trump is dangerously unfit to be president. Period.
6
This article was worth it just for the phrase “preening narcissism.” Perfect. Watch his hands while he boasts about his medical prowess. Yikes.
6
Is it too preposterous to hope that Corona is the grace that comes to America in the guise of its opposite, as it ruthlessly tears the masks (pun intended) of deceit off the president and his once Grand, now merely Old Party? I have the increasing sense that this year's election will be decided by the virus.
That being said, I fully agree with other comments here in urging the Times to ignore the dangerous narcissist in the White House and concentrate on the issues that really matter. Trump rants and lies do not longer matter as the fabric and very survival of the Republic are at stake.
In the meantime, I suspect that at this point in time the one really running things in the background is Mike Pence.
I also wickedly entertain myself imagining this: Pence, as Trump-appointed Coronavirus-Czar, ordering Trump to go into quarantine.
4
When will the republicans wake up and see what the rest of sees, that the emperor wears no cloths!
8
During his unfocused, mainly unintelligible talk at the CDC (It's CDCAP, by the way), it was obvious what his concern was about when he brought up "the perfect transcription" (his lawyer, Barr, probably told him to say that).
He's only interested in staying out of jail. He doesn't care about the health of the American people one whit.
7
Trying to politicize a health crisis. The democrats are always willing to stoop this low.
2
@John Hey, not so fast. The facts are that It was Trump who bragged about his “perfect” call to Ukraine during his Coronavirus press conference. That is politicizing a health crisis.
2
A plea from a member of the higher risk public to anyone in the position of having any influence: Don’t have the president speak about the corona virus outbreak in public broadcasts. Your losing your audience when he does. Please, leave it to health specialists to tell us what we should know.
1
And Andrew Cuomo is such a capable leader?
His narcissism is a grave danger to New York State residents' health, too.
President Trump is unfit, period.
5
Yes Trump is not fit to lead the USA - we all knew that(Republicans?) - and that's why I did not vote for Trump
Good news!!! The UW is starting drive by testing for employees and medical workers - expanding to more medical workers in the coming weeks - and Gates is developing a coronavirus home test kit - so things are bad but people are stepping up to help - remember - don't depend on the current government for truth or help - it will never happen!!!!
4
Just simple - Trump is a SHOWMAN And a Salesman and an authoritarian head of a household. Beyond that, he is just an ordinary selfshegpistic guy afflicted with AFFLUENZA.He will use any language it takes to humiliate his opponents including gutter language -literally PIG langage, rumor mongering and character mud s;onging. He avoids speaking under oath. He will avoid any trial where he must testify under oath. He has filed a suit against NY Times. It should ask for a deposition for him. His only remedy is McConnell's Supreme Court. Our only hope is civility of Roberts. Other four radical wrong wing are all TRUMPETS.
I have infinitely more confidence in the task force assembled by the administration than an unknown Ms. Senior. The heads of the National Association for Allergy and Infectious Diseases ( Fauci), the CDC, the NIH inspire confidence and are taking measures based on science, epidemiology and their medical training and experience in public health. Who is Ms Senior ?Does she have an M.D. a Masters in Public health? It seems likely she is obviously politicizing a national health emergency. If we are to beat this existential threat to our nation we need a united nation working together for the good of all. A house divided, by politics and a virus, cannot stand.We will all need to suppress our political biases and let the experts dictate our response to the Corona virus. When JFK was assasinated the entire nation mourned. When Reagan was shot his surgeons said " Today we are all Republicans Mr. President.
1
It it time for The Times and others to stop reporting (repeating) any mention by Trump of "fake news." This is the same free advertising the media gave him in 2016 and it's time to stop. It's no longer "news" in any sense. It is now merely the spread of propaganda, which is having negative effects on the abilities of government to help people. Stop being his fraudulent megaphone.
5
He has ruined, bankrupted or walked away from every business he's ever had. Only laundered Russian money through Deutsche Bank has kept his real estate empire from going completely belly up.
Why should the fate of the United States under his control be any different?
6
Trump is not fit to babysit, let alone be president.
4
What a surprise. An opinion piece in the NYT thinks Trump is not doing a good job. The NYT is an echo chamber.
The governors who are declaring states of emergency are doing so because they do not want to be attacked for not doing so, not because they believe it's necessary.
Since the time that this virus has emerged, I would imagine twice a many people have died from slipping in their tubs.
Yet, we have become like an episode of The Twilight Zone, making a pariah out of anyone diagnosed with this condition, or anyone having a second- or third- or fourth-hand contact with someone who may have come into contact with someone who is currently under quarantine for maybe having come into contact with ...
1
How is this screed by a person identified as a book reviewer who published a book on parenting even on the editorial page. I did not even vote for Trump and may vote Biden as I am not happy with Trump's demeanor and appointments but thread of "incapable of leading" and laciking "decency and self possessions" sound like someone I wouod read on a Facebook post from a pot smoking sister in law from rural Virginia or Alaska (I have both and the vote every post to sharing anti trump cartoons)
1
Friend, the fact that Trump lacks decency and compassion was well known decades before he was elected President. I remember him as far back as the 80s, when he was a known sociopath if for no reason other than barbaric treatment of wives. (There was much, much more, but that would make this post too long.) Maybe you need to imbibe some of your sister-in-law’s weed: it’s apparently made her wiser than you.
1
The only thing Trump can do competently is feed himself. Literally everything else is a con game--even his golf score.
7
And your qualifications for saying Trump is unfit?
1
@JoeG She writes in a logical series of complete sentences, which is more than Trump can do.
3
Judging from some of these letters, people are still clinging to their ideology and the transient pleasure of "triggering" liberals than actually taking precautions to save their own skins. Viruses don't care about who you voted for folks. If ever there was a "greatest generation" moment to unite us, this is it and yet some of you choose the cynical blather of FOX news over facts.
3
The flu kills 20,000 to 60,000 mostly elderly people every year. I also do not appreciate the President’s narcissistic approach to every issue. But he neither created this virus nor spread it. He promptly reduced visitors from China. You need but praise him. But take a chill pill.
1
And I have two cousins who still worship Donald Trump - and still believe he is better than Hillary because she killed one of their friends in Benghazi. How many more of their friends will die at Trump's negligence?
2
If you placed the period after the word “unfit”, then the headline would be more accurate.
2
How does an RMBK reactor explode? It can’t so don’t tell me it exploded.
The reaction to this virus by the administration feels eerily similar to how the Politiburo responded to the news of an explosion at Chernobyl
2
If Republicans downplaying, and right wing social media poo-pooing is played out—-then this means a president willing to sacrifice his own voting constituents. Ultimate greater risk to thus blind-sided Republicans. Which leads ultimately to a preponderance of fatalities in Republicans who believed “the hoax.” Strange and scary calculus.
2
Can’t we appeal to his narcissism and call it, Trump’s Plague?
3
the title is incorrect and should read "President Trump is Unfit. Period."
2
If Wall St. is rising the economy is making Trump great; if falling Trumps not looking good...
If tourism gets cancelled, Trumps properties suffer ...
Means less earnings for the year of Trump and the children...
and it's the dem's and of course "Fake News" and China and the corona virus, in conjunction with his friend Putin and MBS....
and the party's at Mar-a-Lago and the fund raisers continue....for the votes.
What will we do if we end up having to shut the country down like Italy, Donald? Any directions, clues? "Think it's looking good out there...."
I suppose we can all tweet....it's everyone else but myself & administration.
1
Well written thought full article every American should read and re read....
Chuck from Ohio
2
It’s not only “ President Trump Is Unfit for This Crisis. Period.”
It’s “ President Trump Is Unfit. Period.”
2
Unfit for this crisis? He’s unfit for any crisis! He is a crisis! November can't get here fast enough!
4
The hypocrisy at the Times knows no limits. In the past if the president did not do enough to allay public fears and display sufficient sympathy during a natural disaster he was pilloried for it. Now comes along a Times column which castigates the president for doing precisely what the Times used to advocate as the president’s job during such a crisis. Trump can never do right. Even when he does what the Times had always prescribed it now becomes wrong. Is there no limit?
1
Trump is unfit for any crisis.
4
The reporting on the Coronavirus outbreak in the US has been designed to create the most panic among the populace.This in turn has led the economy to slow all making the outcome of the November election problematic.Where has the Times reporting on the influenza outbreak been this year we already know the flu has killed thousands of our population.Finally what on earth would the great democrat presidential contender done with the Coronavirus outbreak VP Joe Biden,probably assured us China was no threat.
1
In fairness to Trump, this is simply the latest example of his narcissistic incompetence.
3
Trump unfit? Your preaching to the choir. Wouldn't it be great if his party stopped acting like disciples following the Chosen One?
3
This has happened before.
In 1616, Pope Paul V instructed Cardinal Bellarmine to inform Galileo that the Copernican theory, stating that the Earth revolved around the sun, could not be taught as fact. This led to the prosecution, trial, and condemnation of Galileo by the Roman Catholic Inquisition in 1633.
Trump sees himself the same way Pope Paul V saw himself: infallible. Science? He’s above it, like Pope Paul V was. The CDC and the NIH are weak, pointy-headed geeks, like Galileo was.
Pope Donald will soon learn that the “fake news” denials he uses against all the truths he doesn’t like won’t work against public health statistics, including deaths rates.
None of his usual techniques - lying, denying, insulting, demeaning, bullying, vilifying, suing, firing, rallying, or declaring bankruptcy - will succeed against this viral pandemic, its associated economic crisis, and the deaths it will cause.
4
The election is only 239 days away.
2
SNL should open with an unedited video of Trump speaking last Friday at the CDC. That's it.
5
Trump is the global pandemic in search of a medical and political protocol.
2
25th Amendment anyone?
2
Still digging for a way to remove this President, get a grip. People have been watching too many episodes of the Walking Dead. The H1N1 flu was much worst
For anyone who wanted to know how a narcissistic autocrat, supremely ignorant and devoid of any desire to learn, handles a crisis, we present this atrocity we call POTUS. These past three years, culminating in this debacle that will COST LIVES, is the ultimate indictment of the antiquated electoral college system that gave us this fool in the first place.
3
Politicians are unfit for this crisis. Their narcissism is a grave danger to our health.
fixed it for ya.
I lived and worked in the beautiful country that is Honduras for three years. The good people of Honduras endure very corrupt governments with dishonest leaders who continually massage and misrepresent the facts to manipulate the people and maintain power. Returning in 2012, I never thought that we, as US citizens, would be experiencing a 'banana republic' style President who puts us at risk with his inability and unwillingness to listen to experts, take science seriously, and make decisions for the good of the country, rather than to benefit himself and his family. As an NPR commentator stated last night, the coronavirus doesn't read Tweets. I fear we are about to experience the consequences of ineffectual and corrupt leadership in the number of US deaths that result from the coronavirus.
7
I thought the article was good, but somewhat incomplete. Indeed, while the author did a thorough of examining Trump's culpability in setting off the coronavirus outbreak, it completely ignored his role in setting off the bad weather we have had recently.
3
The scotch tape on the back of Trump's tie just sums him up. Rather than fixing the problem of his too long tie by tying it properly, Trump instead elects to correct one sin by performing another. Which pretty much sounds like his life philosophy.
16
you cannot be tested, and if you have symptoms, you cannot buy a mask to protect others from yourself. the government had several weeks of watching China put in draconian measures to counter its epidemic, and did nothing. now all of Italy is in a lockdown. Does the President even understand "exponential"? that is what we are up against. Willing it away, or messaging incorrect information isn't going to cut it.
18
I am not sure how this difference between the seasonal flu and COVID-19 is often missed, but thousands of people die from the flu that MILLIONS get an annual shot against. If there were no flu shot the death toll would be exponentially higher. I guess I missed the part where millions were being immunized against this coronavirus and so it can be compared to the seasonal flu.
6
The flu doesn’t spread in the same way they the Coronavirus does. And there is no vaccine. Comparable to the flu but not really.
5
I am an elderly senior with "previous conditions" and that puts me in the high risk group. My husband and I are on a lockdown and it is scary to contemplate a trip to the grocery store..We got all our prescriptions filled when it first started here in Seattle. His groups are no longer doing their exercise at the YMCA ad his volunteer work is on hold. We both have ceased to engage in a life of retirement that we enjoyed, with people we respect and enjoy...
It is outright criminal that tests are not available to physicians or patients. It is shameful that patients must die alone, without family by their sides, as has been done in the nursing homes. The infection risks are quite high, as is the risk.
Mr. Trump was always a minority leader, with a large popular vote deficit. He will not be reelected and sadly, will watch as good people die and he hides the numbers for his own personal neediness...
We all deserve better treatment from this government that our taxes fund. And my message to the GOP is quite firm and simple. We have a leader incapable of leadership in a crisis. He turned down the WTO coronavirus test, which is saving lives in other countries while we wait here. You had the opportunity to save us all and made a choice. Those of us who survive this will make one in NOVEMBER. Count on it....
32
Since the administration won't put numbers to this, let's do it. First, start by reading "The Corona virus by the Numbers", https://nyti.ms/2wshWNH. Now let's apply some of the logic an math that he discusses. The latest new has the Coronavirus deaths at 26 and with a fatality rate of 1% (let's be conservative over the 0.5% mentioned) that means that there had to have been 2600 (26/0.01 or 26*100) symptomatic patients cumulative over the times that the fatal patients became sick. So that means the number of tested positives is low, even more so if you apply a 0.5% mortality rate.
One number that has been used is that 80% of cases will be minor or asymptomatic which would mean that there have been over 10,000 people with the virus. Since this is a new disease and there is not vaccine those 10,000 will infect others, especially if they have minor or no symptoms. And that number would be 2 or more weeks ago -- refer to the article listed above.
6
Dear NY Times:
Nice try, but this isn’t going to work either. I’m still going to vote for Trump and he is still going to be re-elected. But I do admire your perseverance.
Sincerely,
People Living in the Real World
5
So in the real world, the COVID-19 is a hoax?
4
In 2009, 60 million Americans caught the swine flu virus and a little under 13,000 died. Remember all the precautions the Obama administration took to disrupt the spread? The quarantines, the cancelled schools, the empty sporting arenas? If you can't there is a reason - they didn't - the attempt to re-write history on this is embarrassing. Trump and his folks may have been too slow on a host of issues but for goodness sakes they are taking this far more seriously than Obama and Biden ever did.
5
You are suggesting a mortality rate for the swine flu that was 1/1000 what may be occurring with the novel corona virus. And while it might be entertaining to compare and contrast with someone you think did worse, really we should be looking at best practices and ways to get there. These types of events will continue, especially as global movement of people , animals and products continues. Viruses do not care about politics or borders or status. Trust in the government can be helpful when it’s earned. We don’t have that as a whole right now.
11
Word is that Pence will take care of everything during the Coronavirus Pandemic. Trump is taking the 25th Amendment Quarantine Sabbatical at Mar a Lago until the all clear is sounded. Germaphobes be safe.
6
he is unfit period. come November he will be history. Can't wait.
16
Our historically ill-equipped president is getting exposed for what he really is: incompetent. Doubly-suited to the moment is the fact that the adversary is eating away at his base of voters. If there was a god, he would laugh at the irony.
10
DT arrived late, left the news conference quickly, would not say if he has been tested, spent time with people who are self-isolating, has feverish glow.
Just wondering?
11
It was disgusting to see C.D.C. director Robert R. Redfield standing behind Trump at one of his uninformative news conferences smirking and laughing when Trump called the Democratic governor Jay Inslee a “snake” because Inslee was trying to help his state of Washington combat the corona virus. Redfield is symbolic of the type of unqualified sycophants appointed by Trump that we have running important government institutions. The only qualifications for Trump appointees are fealty to Trump. Our current government cannot be counted on in a time of crisis such as this epidemic for any help or even reliable information. We’re on our own.
29
President Trump is unfit to be a mayor of even a small village. He has a brilliant mind along with an emotionally challenged brain. Brilliant minds all presidents hire but to qualify for the White House one must have an emotionally super healthy brain because all policy decisions are mostly emotional decisions. Trump's behavior is a solid proof of his messed up emotional health.
President Trump is the symptom in chief of what is wrong with America. We have cutting edge mind education that creates brilliant minds but as our brain education is messed up we have an America that has a major section of emotionally challenged brains.
We are the most drug, sex and trophy self-image addicted people in the world. Just imagine 50% of Americans have to struggle to meet ends. It is because we make good money with our brilliant minds but spend it with our miseducated brains.
We are an emotionally challenged country and will remain so as long as brain education is neglected. We must highlight Trump's emotionally challenged brain as just the tip of the iceberg and take action to create emotionally healthy brains across the board.
There are three very important steps that need to be taken ASAP.
1) Introduce compulsory emotional health testing and manual to create healthy brains.
2) Instead of just focusing on education for making money we must introduce equal focus on education on how to save money and invest money.
3) Make sure presidential candidates are tested for emotional health.
2
Welp, the GOP refused to remove him after he committed felony bribery. They had their chance.
And here we are.
25
If the Corona virus and stock market slide result in Trump's defeat in November I would call it short term pain for long term gain.
20
He’s unfit period. Full stop. This was evident in 2016.
17
Fellow Americans, do not be alarmed. Our magnificent leader, President Trump will golf day and night until this crisis is resolved.
20
The laws of nature cannot be dismissed as "fake news" - they are oblivious to blowhards, conmen and narcissists.
Americans will not long tolerate a government that they perceive is not protecting them. Risk of serious illness and death tends to focus (some) minds.
9
preening narcissism -- yes!
best joke of the week: "I'd vote for my vacuum cleaner before..."
5
What the surprise here ?
He was clearly unfit to run a presidential campaign (even though he won with a little help from Russia), he was unfit to run a charity (barred from running on in the future after his was liquidated), he was unfit to run casinos,...
9
Corona-tion of the self-proclaimed king.
8
It may be true that the percentage of deadly cases is over-estimated due to under-reporting of all cases of COVID-19. And the outbreak may peter out- it happens sometimes (thankfully). But consider this: the odds, while likely in the range of more virulent flu epidemics, rises to 100% if it is YOU or a loved one who gets the disease and succumbs to it. Youth is no insulator against COVID-19's fatal impact. While selective on the old and infirm, this virus, based on what we know, is an equal-opportunity killer. The arguments against the risk- "it's overblown" or -God help us- "it's a hoax", are spurious. Denial of reality, anyone? Preparedness is fundamental to management of risk and without it the unlucky infected (us) are sitting ducks, victimized by a mismanaged and even misrepresented healthcare system designed specifically to ameliorate such risk but hamstrung by the powers that be and rendered less effective by a false ideology that denies science and the veracity of knowledge itself. Reality stands outside of political belief and is immune to spin. We've forgotten this. Perhaps coronavirus will remind Americans of this basic truth, one that should be self-evident. When grandma dies from COVID-19, denial of the facts or placing blame will not bring her back. Or anyone else killed by coronavirus. Mid-Westerners know this: even though most tornadoes are EF1 or 2, they build shelters anyway. They build it for the EF5 that may appear, out of nowhere, on a warm summer's day.
3
Trump is Unfit.
That should have been the title.
11
Oopsy! That golden flying tie might have some coronavirus on it!
3
The Enlightenment brought us science and the arts. We need both now. A self-serving, real-estate criminal, he has neither.
Dear commoners like me. I don't have much money, but this guy is not the way to salvation. He just doesn't know what he is talking about. Worse yet, he claims to know what he is talking about.
The art of the deal? Maybe. A natural at viral infections? Please.
10
The President of the United States said that he would rather let potentially sick Americans die than raise the number of infected officially in the country because that would look bad for him. Dear Trump Supporters: the man you elected would rather you die than have his poll numbers drop. You do get that, right? He would rather you die than his numbers drop. One more time, so maybe it sticks until November: Mr. Trump would rather you die than he looks incompetent. Why would you support such a person? Why?
18
Precisely the question!
Surely even Trump supporters can grasp the message from this president: My future is more important to me than you/your lives.
4
Well as Trump supporters who get their news from the outlets mentioned in the article fail to take precautions, a predictable result is in sight. Could this be the thing that finally wakes people up, albeit at a terrible cost? If you prefer lies, hate and religion to truth, tolerance, and science, your fate is of your own making.
9
Well written. 35 000 potentially infected Americans. Of course, billionaire President Trump has his hotels & resorts to flock to, so he is well protected. And he wants to be re-elected. That is who, Americans voted for. And this is only one of the many consequences. Uncaring. Now ALL of Italy is under restricted movement. North & South. China & South Korea are finally reporting a slow-down in contagion. If Americans re-elect their current President, whom can they blame but themselves?
3
What is original or new in this column except Nicholas Christakis' comments? Unless they are a loyal MAGA fancier, it is obvious to the lowliest voter that Trump is mishandling the COVID-19 epidemic. So what is the point of repetitive condemnations of Trump in opinion and/or inevitable comparisons to Nero or Poe? Surely there's more to this virus that opinion writers could find to explore.
3
The columnist is worried.
She says "It's a crisis of transparency. It’s a crisis of government legitimacy."
She should read history and find out how many wars has the USA began based on lies.
I remember three: Against Spain, against Vietnam and against Irak.
Then, why so incensed?
Remember the traditional media hate Trump but they need him for their business and you are contributing.
3
A chilling assessment and, I fear, correct.
6
Mike Pence's claim that Donald had yet to be tested after being exposed to 3 men who came in contact with a coronavirus carrier is a lie. Come on Mike, and it is public knowledge that the guy is a Germophobic.
I watched the news conference yesterday, and Donald isn't looking so good. A tell-tail sign he is a very frighten older man is that he left before the end. Donald prematurely leaving the stage had little to do with the enormous task he is ill-equipped to handle. You are correct Ms. Senior it is all about;
'Trump, hellbent on re-election, is focused on massaging numbers and silencing bearers of bad news. That's what autocrats do. And it's endangering lives.'
Remember, when he loses the protection of the presidency, he facing a stark reality of jail time.
NY Times, it would be an enormous help if you would please stop advertising his dangerous Tweets. There is a tribe of people out there that believe every word, and this could be perilous.
5
I think this is a preview of how the crimate crisis will eventually play out. The deniers will be walking around in ankle-deep water telling us it’s not happening.
9
Reading the comments I think the liberals need some anti-anxiety medication. Neither President Trump nor any leader can keep you from getting sick. The test kits everyone is whining about only confirm or deny you are infected. As much as possible stay away from groups of people and wash your hands. The regular flu killed 34 thousand people last year (CDC data) and so far this virus has killed fewer than 30 people in the USA. The panic the media is inducing in older people is shameful. There are a significant number of people who are unhinged about the virus.
4
Pretty amazing how America’s “liberal media” controls the decisions of Netanyahu, and the Italian government, and other world governments as well.
Israel is requiring all persons arriving in the country by any means to be quarantined for 14 days before permitting general entry. The entire country of Italy is under lock down.
They are such dupes! Like Trump, they could be golfing and partying if only they listened to him rather than America’s “liberal media”!
In case you missed it, I’m being sarcastic...
It’s not hysteria to demand our president take timely, cautionary actions to stem a fast spreading new virus that is still being investigated.
His rejection of readily available WHO test kits as fatalities mounted worldwide is unforgivable. Viruses know no boundaries. His delusions of omnipotence and grandeur are literally insane.
This virus might ebb. It’s new. We don’t know. That’s the point. Precautions are wise.
2
The USA is literally allocating significant resources in relation to this virus, to babysit the president’s sensitive ego. When a new development occurs, the question isn’t just how we respond. Its also how to we respond to protect Trumps image. He already said he wanted to keep the cruiseliner on the Californian coast off land because if docked, the number of infected people on US shores would go up. He cant even follow basic timelines regarding a vaccine. He has been told 12 months minimum, but that’s beyond election date, so a false narrative need to be pushed that a vaccine will be ready in less than 6 months. Kellyanne Conway & Larry Kudlow have made multiple statements of a ‘continued virus’ even though experts have said this is a pandemic in waiting. This is a serious historical event, likely the first pandemic in 100 years. Yet Trump seems not only incapable of acting competently, but he doesn’t even seem to grasp just how serious this is.
3
I was looking for the solution to the coronavirus in this column and in the comments... and I couldn't find it. Try harder. Write something that makes a difference or stop trying.
1
The effort to replace a solidly qualified Trump with a man decades past his peak would damage the American economy and people. It hasn't been long enough since the Obama disaster for rational adults to take a flyer now. Try again in 2032 perhaps.
1
He's unfit period. Weather it's trying to commandeer the reporting of a Hurricane, showing leadership at the onset of a potentially grave new virus or attempting to sound and act like a practicing well-parented adult, he's hopeless and shouldn't be allowed in the White House Gift Shop much less the Oval Office. It's my sincere hope we are 8 months away from his unceremonious swift kick back to a life where being consumed with himself is only a problem for his family that deserves no less.
5
Trump is unfit for any crisis. He hates science and the objective truth. He makes all his judgements from a place of ignorance.
6
Trump is completely unfit to handle the coronavirus crisis.
Trump is completely unfit to handle the stock market crisis.
Trump is completely unfit to be President. Period.
11
Why am I not reading any discussion of how global warming may reduce incidence of virus pandemics in the future?
The open border mythologists are critical of Trump, and the facts.
1
I said what this author just did the day he held his first meeting with the CDC; except I called for instant removal.
I mean...it's only our lives and the fiscal health of the nation that he threatens. If we survive with a fully intact and functioning economy and society when this has played out, historians will still question why we never once felt moved to do the one thing that would have safeguarded us from the onset, which is putting a leader in place capable of handling the crisis.
Over the past weeks, this man has called it a hoax, blamed Obama, suggested openly sick people go to work, denied its reality, claimed his genius uncle at MIT would know ...whatever (he never finished the thought), opined that he, himself, is such a genius that he should have become a doctor rather than president (if only we'd been so lucky) and openly stated that he was content to leave sick people aboard the California cruise ship indefinitely because he did not want "his" numbers to go up by bringing them to land.
In a court, he would be charged with grotesque and deadly ignorance and incompetence that endangers his fellow Americans and has already cost actual lives. It's long past time that that happened in the court of public opinion.
Other nations do not withstand this level of incompetence without acting. It's time to invoke the 25th. We can suffer a few months of Pence, who at least recognizes how serious this is, and then work to change the entire regime.
Lives depend on it.
4
Our fates are not in the stars, nor in ourselves, but in our Republicans!
2
Yeah, that’s what we really need, our president creating more fear and panic. That would be great for America and the world.
3
If there is a moment when I wished Republican senators had the courage to send the president packing during impeachment, this moment is now.
4
Dear Ms. Senior,
The President is unfit, period, and yet, the tyranny of the unfit electoral majority saw fit to usher him into office in 2016 and will likely do so again in 2020, first because neither Biden nor Bernie stand a chance against him (24/7 gaffes or 24/7 Utopianism), second because Covid-19 will be distant history come November, and third, because Trump’s unfitness cannot subtract from the most successful presidency by any objective measure in half a century.
He’s the first not to roll over on China, he’s strong-armed companies into keeping jobs in the states, he’s taught everyone what the word “illegal” refers to in illegal immigration, he blocked Chinese tourists from coming into the country the moment Coronavirus made its appearance, he’s determined not to get us involved in ludicrous wars, he’s singlehandedly turned political correctness inside out, he’s the first to sit down with the crackpot in North Korea, and so on, and so on.
Sympathetically,
S.A. Traina
2
Maybe this will bring him down. His handling so far is an "F" and would lower if the scale went that low. Perhaps the die-hard Trump supporters will see what this guy really is when the economy totally collapses. For example why are we not quarantining anyone coming in from Northern Italy via plane? Iran? South Korea? Why? How many untested sick people are walking around? Thousands? And the infection rate is something like it doubles every few days? This is just the tip of the iceberg.
2
If Trump died of coronavirus tomorrow, Fox News would report the virus was the product of an international democratic-led conspiracy to take Trump out. There is no end to their corruption and narcissism.
5
Let's just panic everyone. Would you be happier then? The cat's otta the bag. This virus will run its course no matter what ad hoc advice is given or what drastic measures are taken. Let's focus on isolating and protecting the elderly and those with preexisting conditions and move on with our lives. And most of all, constructive reporting would be more helpful to everyone. The real tragedy here is a completely ignorant person entering a nursing home and releasing a death sentence.
1
He is unfit for anything.. but for some reason, 35% of the country thinks he is the Messiah. We know that his base must, in private moments, have their own doubts. In public, they defend him, but we know that can't really be this reckless and irrational. How will they recover, once they realize what they have done to our country? How much more will they need to suffer themselves, before they realize that he's been lying to them all along? He would betray them in an instant, if it served him. Who sides with Darth Vader, Lex Luthor or any bad guy? Crazy people do.. and now we all know who they are. Let's hope they stay home in November.
3
@Mike Their private lives are filled with FoxNews blaring during their waking hours, and some non-waking hours.
I strongly believe it is time for the Senate to enact the 25th Amendment. It is very evident that our president is unable to lead this country through the Coronavirus. And that he is causing Americans To put themself at death's door.
4
I’d like to know what the response will be at the Trump properties to Coronavirus. Closures? Quarantines? Layoffs? Anything?
1
The government could activate the 2 Navy hospital ships and send one to the east and west coasts respectively and start letting major hospitals know the armed forces is ready to set up field hospitals at major medical centers to handle any overflow.
2
In the postage-stamp size photo which introduced this, I saw his fluttering tie and thought he was eating a napkin.
2
@John Briggs
Value subtracted.
2
This article is very accurate and took the words right out of my mouth as a physician. Trump is worse then COVID-19!
5
What does it take to get many people to see how unfit Trump is, a crisis like pandemic or something?
Apparently.
4
Thank you, Jennifer. Every word of your piece is spot on.
The presser this afternoon just adds more evidence to how unprepared this *president & his minions are in the face of a real crisis. Why did the *president scoot out of the presser quickly and leave his sycophants to field questions? I'd venture to guess the germaphobe-in-chief is a little scared right now. Not scared for citizens, but afraid for himself.
Some of his besties are self-quarantining and he spent the weekend playing with one of his favorite cohorts, Matt Gaetz, who also accompanied the *president on air force one. Now confirmed Gaetz was hanging out with the COVID19-positive CPACer.
45 is scared...but for all the wrong reasons.
3
“ Yet right now, the United States isn’t reporting how many people have been tested; the C.D.C. pulled the number from its website.”
Another act of treason to be added to the list for Impeachment II.
2
He’s been unfit for every moment of his tenure.
A week before news of the coronavirus broke, the Senate had a unique opportunity to remove this inept and incapable charlatan from office. They failed in their sworn duty to the people of this country and thousands will die in a crisis far worse than it needs to be because of their venality.
4
These words should be inscribed on Trump's tomb: "His preening narcissism, his compulsive lying, his vindictiveness, his terror of germs and his terrifying inability to grasp basic science — all of it eclipsed his primary responsibilities to us as Americans, which was to provide urgent care, namely in the form of leadership". That would be only fitting.
6
@Harley Leiber And this incompetent real estate criminal was aided and abetted by cowardly members of the Republican Party.
Failed in school, failed in business, continues to fail as president, why would we expect any different?
6
I care just as much about Donald Trump as he cares about me. Zero.
1
How long before Trump petitions the Supreme Court to find the Law of Gravity unconstitutional?
Trump can not lie his way out of this crisis.
It must be so scary for the people such as the evangelical pastors, most of the Republican Congress, his rich friends who were the first to receive their tax cuts, the convicted criminals he pardoned, his “other” friends who got high paying jobs at the White House, his royal supporters who go to the “cheering party” to truly see the con man for what he is.
2
“I like the numbers being where they are,” says Trump, as if infected people don't count as long as they are kept offshore.
Will his naked denial persist, even as the numbers of the sick and the dead mount?
2
Well, of course he is. He is a crisis.
1
Nero played the fiddle while Rome burned. Trump played golf (both days of the weekend) at his Florida hideaway while Washington sorta, kinda, somewhat squirmed and the rest of the country....
Thank you, Jennifer. Every word of your piece is spot on.
The presser this afternoon just adds more evidence to how unprepared this *president & his minions are in the face of a real crisis. Why did the *president scoot out of the presser quickly and leave his sycophants to field questions? I'd venture to guess the germaphobe-in-chief is a little scared right now. Not scared for citizens, but afraid for himself.
Some of his besties are self-quarantining and he spent the weekend playing with one of his favorite cohorts, Matt Gaetz, who also accompanied the *president on air force one. Now confirmed Gaetz was hanging out with the COVID19-positive CPACer.
45 is scared...but for all the wrong reasons.
1
Transparency abounds. The President suffers diarrhea of the Twitter account. All can see the debilitation in his emotional incontinence and flailing conduct.
He is, indeed, "unmasked".. "He’s incapable of leading." That's one way of putting it, Ms Senior.
"We have no leader" lends solemn urgency.
"This crisis has unhelmed and unmasked him. ."
FAKE NEWS.
He was never helmed and never masked. A vast majority of Americans were never taken in. Even those who voted for him knew what he was. He is the definition of Unhinged Phony Baloney.
It is not a fact that we are finally seeing the TRUE Donald Trump. We have never seen anything else. The question is whether those who have supported him while saying they know he is a vulgar con man will ow admit that at times of crisis this is not the best leader for our country.
The verdict is still out.
1
35000? Trump wouldn't care if a million Americans died as long as he could strut and preen and say he was the greatest physician of all time.
3
Trump's leadership is akin to "let them eat cake".
2
The man is simply irrelevant. Ignore him and wait for November.
2
This fear mongering is just absurd at this point.
3
That's the most accurate headline I've seen -- ever! - sheila
2
"President Trump Is Unfit for This Crisis. Period."
You can say that again.
3
@Equilibrium
"President Trump Is Unfit For This Crisis. Period".
There you go.
1
Looks like being disinvited from the CPAC conference wasn’t such a bad thing after all.
5
at the top of the food chain,
panicked and paranoid,
by bits of RNA
hunted and destroyed
unlike the Corona virus--
calm and adroit--
humans across the USA
are frazzled and distraught,
by their president
serving them lies instead of truth,
politics instead of public health,
as the tanking economy
makes Trump overwrought,
His cocktail for Americans
is Molotov.
1
"the Trump presidency. His preening narcissism, his compulsive lying, his vindictiveness, his terror of germs and his terrifying inability to grasp basic science". Just when things are dire, worried about our friends' and family's health, our income and our freedom, we have our usual source of humor to perk us up: we're so lucky to have Donald Trump as president, someone whose competency is an unending source of humor (at least to Times writers). Corona virus might end my life, but at least, thanks to the Times Opinion section, I'll go chuckling to the grave.
This crisis is a metaphor for what President Trump is:
"Look Mom, the Emperor has no clothes on!"
"Underneath and unmasked, Trump is a malignant narcissist with a paranoid personality."
3
Vitamins, rest, social distancing, and stop talking about Trump, stop blaming Trump, stop, for the love of god, wasting our time with articles about how this is all Trumps fault.
1
@SRG Nobody is saying "this is all Trumps (sic) fault." He's being criticized for his non-handling of a public health crisis and interference into the work of public health officials who are actually trying to work.
3
Stop covering Dump while he fiddles and cover the governors and state health officials who are on the front lines of this crisis. They are smart enough to know this isn’t a political football!
1
Trump is not worried as he's confident that the power of prayer from his Evangelic supporters will stop Covid 19 in its tracks.
And as insurance he has put Pence in charge
Job done
Love that photo - Trump has an elephant's tusk which is so appropriate since as he's been the elephant in every room for almost four years.
Liberals keep claiming that Trump's comments are causing real consequences. There's absolutely no evidence of that whatsoever and once again liberals are looking to blame a natural disaster on a Republican president. iI's the lowest form of partisanship and here it is on floor display for all to see. further evidence that journalism is dead and all we have are talking points outlets. Really disgraceful.
1
How comforting to know people will die because of him. I hope his base is pleased.
1
I have been an atheist all my life - at least since old enough to have a viewpoint.
If Trump contracts coronavirus I will, for the first time, believe in God. I wish his hospital roommate to be Matt Gaetz and have their first visitor be Louie Gohmert. I want Mike Pence to be the chaplain who sits by their bedside.
I won't wish death on anyone, since I will then be a religious person. But may they retch in peace.
1
If it’s not president Donald Trump, then whom it would be?
Dear Americans, please feel free to analyze how our system in Germany works to protect our people. First of all it is a daily information of our responsible politicians together with the epidemic experts from the Robert Koch Institute. @Jennifer Senior: You are right, the best protection is made by open minded communication to the people. I hope you Americans fare well. May be it's possible only without such a dumb Trump and his fellowship. You (NYT) are doing what's perfect to protect > inform the Americans. Go further.
1
He has never been fit - in any way. Enough of this charade, cronyism and corruption. Out with them all and maybe justice one day be served for their barbarous attacks on our democracy.
1
Saying "Trump is unfit for this crisis" (or for the office he occupies, for that matter) is like saying coronavirus is bad for you; it's a tautology.
1
Where are all these loud mouthed Republican Senators and Representatives we heard during the impeachment hearings? Huh? Where is Mitch McConnell? They are all happy to lay low. Dogs, all of them, well excuse me, that was an insult to dogs.
2
We’re paying Dr. Birx to “help out” with this crisis. She’s supposed to be an expert. But she says nothing. She just stands up on a stage with Donald, mute. She is an employee of ours now, not of Donald Trump’s. We deserve to hear medical crisis determinations and plans - from her. Or we should say “You’re fired!”
2
And how much it won’t matter. Trumpers, Mitch McConnell and the Vichy Republicans will continue to support their king and help him win because that’s how much they loathe, despise and detest liberals and Democrats. This has always been about tribalism and coronavirus deaths won’t change that. I, too, am sometimes appalled by what liberals and Democrats do but I’m a moderate whereas Trumpers are extremists. Trump himself — the kind of person and president he is — is proof of that. But I use the term “president” loosely. McConnell is the real president of this country as the NYT’s Gail Collins has pointed out. He too will be fine with letting people die as long as Trumpers stay in power. We haven’t heard him speaking out against Trump’s lies in this public health crisis, have we? Now will we.
1
As if any of us needed additional evidence that 45 is a continuing clear and present danger to both the republic and the planet, we must remember the lesson of Super Tuesday:
Rule #1 - Vote Trump out
Rule #2 See Rule #1
2
Reading the headline of this Op-Ed piece begs the question.
Is there ANY crisis for which President Trump is fit?
1
President Trump Unfit for This Crisis?
President Trump is unfit for ANY crisis!!
We might better ask what he IS fit for.
As a businessman, he was a flop with six corporate bankruptcies to his name.
As a President he struts and preens and lies without end and has disgraced the office he holds.
As one who represents our nation and is its "face" to the rest of the world, he is a "know-nothing" and a clown'
As an intellect he is a "zero".
As a student, he apparently did poorly for he has threatened prosecution to any university releasing his records.
As a husband, he is a serial adulterer and philanderer.
As a human being he lacks any compassion for others.
As one who has betrayed the office to which he was elected, who was impeached for having obstructed justice, among other charges, he deserves a jail sentence.
And finally, as one who may have committed treason, the judgment of history awaits him.
1
I would remove three words from the heading. No prizes for guessing which.
1
Trump is a monster. Unfit, unhinged, and extremely dangerous.
3
I wouldn't be surprised if he gets coronavirus as he met 2 congressmen who had been in contact with someone who has coronavirus. The congressmen are now in quarantine.
2
He is unfit. Period.
1
I hope that Trump comes to understand that Coronavirus causes Covid-19, a potentially fatal disease. It won't respond to juvenile insults and he cannot blame the Democrats or Obama for the outbreak (oops, he already did that). This crisis shows the need for calm, science-based leadership. He is incapable of providing that.Massaging the numbers that he doesn't like and relying on hunches just won't cut it. I doubt that doctors were impressed with his 'knowledge'. "How can you know so much?" they said? Lying won't help either.
Trump has been riding on the coattails of Obamas resurrection of the economy after the 2007 disaster, and touting it as all his own doing.
Now his own ineptitude, incompetence and ignorance is being exposed. And his "tax breaks" have put the US in a situation where there are no tools left in the toolbox to fix it.
This fraud and con man that has STILL NOT RELEASED HIS TAX RETURNS and is fighting tooth and nail in Court to keep them secret, and has bankrupted every business he touched that was not a SCAM, has the gall to LIE to the American public AND THE WORLD that everything is just fine and he is doing a tremendous job - (Playing golf? Or should I say CHEATING at golf???) Just how petty and childish can this clown be?????
The day of reckoning is about to catch up with him, and he will have nowhere to hide. This time he has crashed not just a business, but the whole World Economy! He deserves everything coming to him, AND MORE!
Trump has been exposed - not just for being a selfish fool but to people who might have contracted the disease. Love to see him put in quarantine.
Another reason not to shake his hand.
1
Well,
The republicans let him off the hook when they should have impeached him, and all of us are paying the price.
The only option now is article 25, and before this pandemic gets out of hand it might be the only solution.
We don’t have enough time to wait until November, thousands would die due to his incompetence.
He is truly unfit for office, and the blood will be on the republicans hands.
We would not expect Jenny or anyone else around here having a different opinion about the President and this situation.
THAT is the real virus.
1
He's a grave danger to everything. Period.
Cruz, Gosar and now Gaetz, too, are in quarantine. As Josh Marshall tweeted:
I wish all these quarantined officials the best. But the turnabout of this year's CPAC from a multi-day COVID-19 trolling event to a vector of the contagion is something that would scarcely be believable in a movie script.
1
How much do you want to bet that DJT has already been tested?
1
Trump incompetent, self-centered and uncaring? Really? To quote Chico Marx in ROOM SERVICE, when told by a marshal that he is being evicted from his apartment because he is 37 months behind on his rent, "that's the first I hear of this, Officer!"
1
Gee, when the H1N1 swine flu pandemic took place, Obama did absolutely nothing until six months into the virus after 20,000 Americans had been infected and 1,000 had died. It has a higher death rate than the Wuhan virus.
Trump established quarantines within a week of the Chinese government admitting they had a problem.
What would Bernie or sleepy Joe be doing if they were president? What would Hillary be doing if she hadn't lost the election? Something brilliant?
3
This is a great idea. What purpose does it serve to disseminate false information? Trump has shown he is not truly our commander in chief, he's just a child dressed up in big-boy clothes, pretending he's President and throwing tantrums when things don't go his way. His words mean nothing ... nada ... zilch.