Let’s hope that today’s Wall Street rebellion to the “Trump Slump” will also change the direction of his plan for “MAGA”. Presently his plan for “MAGA” appears to be “Welcome to the Dark Ages.”
12
I have a name for it: Trump's Plague.
Plague: "a disastrous evil; a destructive contagious bacterial disease; to afflict with or as if with disease or disaster".
Paul, you are free to use it and no attribution needed :-)
18
there seemed to be no apparent depth limit to the magasphere's ability to absorb bombast, blame-shifting and denial of reality-in-your-face - - - sick relatives/friends/co-workers may finally change this
10
Do you actually expect competent leadership and crisis management from a real estate developer con artist who regularly ran his business into bankruptcy?
26
Trump only cares about Trump and no one else. He needs to be thrown out of office. No fake impeachment trials with only his supporters as jurists. He is a disaster and needs to be treated as the criminal that he is. The American people should fight for their rights and take to the streets. We cannot let this evil man continue to break the law with no retribution. He has continued to abuse the power of the presidency.
11
A comment a bit off topic, but I can’t resist.
Where in the world are the Republican “leaders” of Congress? Where’s Mitch McConnell, Devin Nunes, Jim Jordan, et.al.? These are the elected leaders; clearly Trump can’t deliver a cogent, reassuring message. Why not these other guys? No need to respond....I know the answer.
20
I certainly hope this doesn’t get in the way of Trump’s golf game. Nah, it won’t.
8
Democrats want to save lives by providing money for abortions in the stimulus bill?
Wake up Krugman, both parties only care about their base.
1
Trump's appearance at the CDC in every science denier's favorite lid, a red MAGA hat, coupled with his rambling dissertation about a brilliant uncle, his own innate intelligence and some all too typical self-congratulatory drivel, really took the proverbial cake.
17
25th Amendment. Just sayin'....
11
Trump? Mismanaging a crisis? Hard to believe. If only we could have predicted that a rather unintelligent, sociopathic, failed businessman, would act this way. How were Republican officials supposed to guess that by betraying the American public and supporting this unhinged man, in order to get their tax cuts, they too would end up with blood on their hands?
18
Within 24 hours of inauguration, Trump made it obvious he was in over his head. And he continued predictably to slide lower and lower. What really is of concern is the structure and meaning of politics in this country. How could it be that the republican party has no one willing to call this fool out regardless of any of the daily stupidity and cruelty he exhibits.
I looked at the educational background of top republican men and women (the few) and found they are generally more educated than the general population. This is the digrace that will be long lasting. Trump will go but the truth remains that our political system is not up to handling a fool.
12
Just when it appears that Trump's behavior and lack of leadership can't worsen, he outdoes himself. I am waiting for him to use his national emergency to place the entire presidential election campaign on hold and reschedule it at his most politically convenient time.
6
To be fair, hasn't he ALWAYS been "an incompetent, delusional blowhard"?
14
Last night, while watching CNN, my attention wandered and I didn't realize they had cut to a commercial. The ad was for HBO's serialization of Philip Roth's "The Plot Against America." If life could only imitate art President Trump/Lindberg would fly away, the 22nd amendment would be repealed and Barack Obama would be serving the country in his well deserved third term.
6
Trump is not and never has been a leader. In his public address today, he denied any responsibility for the lag in response time to the coronavirus. Apparently he does not believe the "buck stops here" at his failure to take the virus seriously. Everything he announced today could have been done weeks ago, setting up drive-through testing sites at major chain stores, for example, though first we need enough tests. Trump gutted the agencies that would normally respond to disease crises, but today denied that he did that, claiming he knows nothing about it. Foolishly, he still tries to blame the Obama administration for swine flu, which is not true and has absolutely nothing to do with the current issue. He claims victory where we have only chaos.
8
Eliminating the payroll tax won’t help those who will get laid off nor help with medical bills for those who get sick and have limited insurance.
6
Would someone on some news network or within earshot of him remind him: He can resign and let someone else take over.
8
Trump has not failed in this crisis in any way, except with the media where he can do no right - ever. If Obama had done the same, he would have been lauded by the media.
2
The market knows when it's being lied to. This inept performance now blame game is despicable. Governor Cuomo and Governor Inslee led the way through their state's crises and found solutions to their testing problems enlisting the private sector and their university labs. They bypassed the incompetence on the federal level. Governor Cuomo pleaded that the federal government should let the states handle testing enlisting their own labs. Sports clubs, community centers, schools, universities have led the way setting great examples of responsibility to protect Americans and Trump became irrelevant.
6
The first failure in America was lack of attention to mental health. The nation failed to listen to 27 and 37 psychiatrists' work in The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump. Had we listened, we would not let a paranoid/sociopathic narcissist/pathological liar into the oval office. As a result he made decisions detrimental to America's health and safety, from cutting the funding of the CDC to deflecting the oncoming pandemic in order to make himself look good. In his mind, his own self was more important than the possibility of 200,000 - 1.7. million deaths in America, We are about to learn some hard lessons - from allowing mentally incompetent leadership into the oval office, to allowing networks like Fox News, enable him to be a danger to the American public. In addition to Covid-19 testing kits, America now needs a standard basic psychological exam for the presidency, in order to safeguard the nation from the chaos and death that we now find ourselves in.
8
I bet even Trump loyalists are chagrined by his complete failure to get his arms around this disaster. I would have preferred his presidency to have ended via impeachment but if it takes a pandemic to cause his downfall, so be it.
4
You Americans have it up side down. The virus is there. Breeding. Living. Spreading. And you are well beyond testing. Just accept that it will spread and infect millions of people and hope that your leaders will be courageous enough to prioritize life over money and politics. Though I fear they will not. And they are already late.
In Norway we are in total lockdown. And with 5.2 mill people we have all ready tested more people than the USA 350 millions. And now we stop testing for symptoms and prioritize those who get severely sick. Our schools are closed. Restaurants, bars, hairdresser and gym are closed. Air traffic halted. People are working from home. Kids don’t play in the street/snow. Everyone is taking strict precautions. And still our number of infected are rising.
Your time is running out. And your White House are playing Russian roulette with your life.
18
Paul notes that "What we saw in Wednesday’s speech was that he (Trump) is completely incapable of rising to the occasion. We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard." But, while all that is apparent to the most of us, it won't sink in to dislodge the ignorance seeded by the deviant corruption of the Murdoch family's dedication of their wealth via Fox news and their publications to the destruction of democracies globally. They’ve hardened many too many of our fellow citizens to their cause to make change and recovery to come easily.
6
It's rather obvious to me why he wanted to eliminate payroll taxes which fund Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security etc.. By eliminating funding, he could then get rid of Social Security, Medicare etc. since they would be running "unsustainable deficits". These are programs that we desperately need to survive these terrible times and Trump wants to eliminate them. How horrible.
7
Trump has just declared at his news conference that he hasn't been tested (even though he stood next to someone who later tested positive). He has said, when pressed, that he "might" get tested- but in the meantime, he continues to interact with many people. If he actually does test positive, he is not going to tell us. He would have to admit that he willfully infected who knows how many others! He might be a carrier right now, and refuses to self-quarantine.
3
Fails completely indeed.
trump never got himself tested and denied he was in close contact with some official who have tested positive of Cornovirus , then started shaking hands with all, except one who gave him an elbow.
PBS White House reporter, Yamiche Alcindor , previously from NYT asked him a tough question and the answer from the President was " that is a nasty question".
This is the kind of the leader of the free World Country has to deal with day in and out with his lies ,obscenities and no remorse.
4
I think I've got it--if it starts with "T" we love it: Trump, tax cuts, travel bans, tariffs. What can we do with prvention, social distancing, sick leave etc. to make them start with "T"?
1
Mr. Trump is a 24 Karat phony and failure as a leader. Today, in his presser in the WH Rose Garden, he refused to even acknowledge that his administration had eliminated the NSC staffing for pandemics. He pretended not to even know that the firing had taken place, as though it was a low level bureaucratic decision. The head staff person of that group reported directly to the President's National Security Advisor, John Bolton at the time. Had that group been present, they would have presented to the President the absolute need to act in early January instead of mid-March. Rather, the President diddled, talked about miracles, denied there was even a problem, and then began a long series of lies. Hie is not a leader...
2
Trump in any type of payroll tax cut is again opting to do what Reagan tried in the 1980s--to get Americans to perceive that tax cuts could be substituted for social service cuts, which DOES include Social Security, whether it's a trust of not.
Medicine will prevail over this idiocy again. It did in the 1980's and will now. He, like Reagan, actually has no real working knowledge of value.
Ansel Adams on Reagan: "He knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."
2
Trump in 2016: “I alone can fix it.”
Trump just now: “I don't take responsibility at all"
7
None of this would've happened if Xi did not dither for so long, or if traffic from China was stopped immediately. But, as Krugman often forgets, hindsight is always 20/20. It is easy to stand on a soapbox and complain and more difficult to propose and implement practical solutions.
If there is to be a solution, it has to be bipartisan. People who are incapable of metabolizing their knee-jerk resentments and hatreds (" incompetent, delusional blowhard") are making it worse.
Unfortunately, we have the dumbest administration probably ever. Think about this, Pence and Trump were in close contact with people who have tested positive for the virus yet they are not in self imposed quarantine and have no plans to be tested. So now the vice and president are possibly spreading the virus in a very big way since they both come in contact with hundreds of people every day. It's now possible that in a matter of weeks pretty much the entire Federal government could be in quarantine.
1
"For three years Donald Trump led a charmed life"
What is this? A fairytale story for the little children?!
Mr. Trump freely chose to personally confront the entire political establishment of America, both the Republicans and the Democrats and he won.
That kind of achievement could be compared to what George Washington did by challenging the British Crown, Teddy Roosevelt by challenging the mighty industrial oligarchs, Franklin D. Roosevelt by attacking the status quo and enacting the safety network for the people and Martin Luther King by dismantling the racial polarization of society.
All those were the individual efforts.
What is Trump's crown achievement?
Declaring that the political establishment betrayed the middle class and America.
That's why he got elected, not because the male Caucasians were the racists.
That wrongful kind of accusations is both racist and misogynic in nature.
See, if you portray the males as misogynists, then you simultaneously attacking the husbands and the families as the basic cell od society.
Any attack on the families is the attack on the women for depriving their of fathers and needed parental support, thus misogynic too…
Those kind of attacks hurt everybody…
The opposite claim is equally accurate. Any attack on the women is attack on the families and all the males…
If you cut off ANY leg, the other is losing the significant part of its functionality too.
Honestly, there are no words to describe the utter incompetence of this man. People are dying and so very anxious and all he can do blame others. And PENCE? God help us.
3
"...a threat foreigners are bringing to America."
Trump's crazed ideas about how to use the power and authority of his office are starkly foreign to America: he always wants to have the first and final word about everything, shows no appreciation for the meaning and operations of democracy, and tries to convince his rabid followers that this nation of immigrants must become a haven exclusively for wealthy folks of Anglo-American backgrounds.
In short, it is Trump who does not belong here. Devoted US citizens, and those wishing to achieve that status, do not want an ignorant, cruel autocrat at the head of this sometimes blessed place. His views and actions are poisonous, but with luck and hard work, we can wash our hands of the nasty Trump infection in November.
2
The best thing you can say about Trump is that he’s an incompetent, delusional blow hard...
5
At what point does Trump's wilful incompetence over Covid-19 constitute a crime against the peoples of North America for which he must be brought to book?
10
The Reality Show Con Artist loves being in control but hates having to be in charge.
That's because the former is about power and the latter is about responsibility.
13
People can handle the truth. In times of crisis it's vitally important to tell the truth and be transparent. As long as this administration tries to control the narrative to preserve Trump's reelection chances, we'll never know what's really going on. With uncertainty, markets, and people, will continue to swoon.
1757
@Markymark Of course, I totally agree that "in times of crisis it's vitally important to tell the truth."
But there's a lot of people in elected government positions and in the public who can't handle the truth, now or maybe ever, and have to have "alternative facts".
38
@lieberma Actually, Trump IS an enemy domestic. On so many levels. But sure, he didn't bring us Covid-19.
Thank you for the information about the infection rates. Angela Merkel has I believe stated something similar about the numbers of future infected based on what German scientists are modeling.
18
@lieberma I think if the president had said anything close to what you just did and acted on it, he wouldn't be receiving this level of criticism.
Instead he obfuscated and lied like he always does and made things worse.
30
A good summary, but I would add his perennial fourth approach to crisis which he uses without fail, namely to insist that the media and his political opponents have created yet another hoax.
2796
@Carol Giffen -- I would contend that Trump's very first recourse when any event threatens his "ratings" is to find a scapegoat, to try to shift blame onto someone else. Truman's famous desk sign was "The buck stops here." On Trump's desk we see "It's not my fault!"
113
@Carol Giffen
And number five- blame those darn foreigners!
75
@Carol Giffen Trump is the greatest GOP hoax ever and 43 million who voted for him don't understand they've been had, not by Trump, their mere hand puppet, but by the GOP leadership.
31
He needs to do a lot more than cooperate with Speaker Pelosi. He needs to put someone in charge of the coronavirus pandemic who is not a politician. There are many qualified possibilities, even Dr. Birx if she is allowed to do her job. He needs to level with US citizens about the testing problem and what that implies for the actual number of persons infected today. Is it 100,000, a million or another number. Finally he must stop treating public health information as classified information. He can't do any of those things, so the US and the world will pay a huge price for his rule.
2136
@James Ricciardi I agree, and I think we both know that none of those things will happen. The ideas make too much sense and would require the orange one to think about someone besides himself. These are skills that he simply does not have.
141
@James Ricciardi
Amb Brix is competent, tough, and no-nonsense, but I haven't heard a word out of her.
Did Pence bring her into the tent so he could muzzle her, rather than have her outside shouting the truth?
There is something puzzling about her silcence.
64
@James Ricciardi HE is not capable of this. How do we take the reins out of his hands, and the hands of every elected Republican, before November, when the damage may be more catastrophic than we can see from today?
62
It may be hyperbolic to call Trump's response to this crisis a "meltdown." There has never been much more to him than serial lies, boundless disdain for traditional values, and a remarkable command of tactics borrowed from schoolyard bullies and wrestling heels. He's been able to keep the sideshow going because his enablers know his fan base views the presidency as just another reality show. Now that "reality" has become real, Trump isn't suffering a meltdown, he's being exposed as the charlatan he's been from the beginning. The only thing new is a context circumscribed by events too dire to deny.
239
@Eric Caine
I love the "wrestling heels" analogy. But even worst of them had a certain charm which Trump totally lacks. I recall, for example, the "King of the Heels" Freddie Blassie (of Andy Kaufman's delightful spoof "My Dinner with Freddie") with a great deal of fondness.
2
@Eric Caine He is who he always was, but now he seems to have lost his knack for PR too; he's flailing, and everyone can see it. All he had to do was sound remotely reasonable, and he would have gotten a lot of (undeserved) credit. That's why I'm calling it a meltdown.
289
@calhouri You can't sue or threaten a virus. Nature doesn't care about human constructs. Science and rational action is not one of Trumps tools.
12
I have been so encouraged today to see my Trump-fan Facebook friends (who 2 days ago were sharing the false meme about pandemics coinciding with election years) turn a corner and take COVID-19 seriously -- even talking about how to support the local community, socially distance, etc. Let's hope on direct stimulus to workers/citizens, this is the time our Republican representatives finally decide to break with Trump. Two days ago, I wouldn't have held my breath - but today I'm choosing to believe!
1131
@V
Trust, but verify!
If they haven't given up the Fox drip, there will be a resurgence reality denial.
174
@V: I don’t know where you are in NC, but I wish this outlook would spread outside our biggest NC cities and that people would come to reality. Seems like we’re so close to being enlightened here, but that’s only because we’re in the Raleigh bubble.
81
@franjo Agree. The spins come quickly. That's why I think it's important to keep framing everyday conversations in terms of looking out for our workers & local communities/economies. That, and concern for our parents/elderly relatives, is where I see the crossover concern right now.
22
Even for professional gamblers and lifelong Conmen, one dark day their luck runs out. Trump has had a magnificent run, thanks to the gullibility of many Americans and the complicity of the GOP. He’s finally standing naked in the rain, unable to dodge the deluge.
This is way beyond a blip, or a cyclical recession. This is a 9-11, a Katrina and a 2008, combined. Even the best president would be challenged. And now the Worst is unveiled, before the entire World. He is frozen, terrified and literally unable to comprehend the enormity of this Crisis. Even the bluster and braggadocio is muted.
It’s not the Coronavirus that is leading us to a global Depression. It’s the realization that we have no hope of adequate response, as long as Trump occupies the Oval Office. He is incapable of seeking and implementing Expert advice. It’s hubris, pride and deadly vanity. Literally.
Thanks, GOP. Your lust for Power and sickening complicity will Kill many, many People. May you be covered with shame and driven out, to languish alone.
3001
@Phyliss Dalmatian Yes, and if just a handful of Senators would have been willing to convict him after the impeachment, he wouldn't be the one handling this crisis. Not that I'd love having Pence, but it would have been somewhat better.
136
@Phyliss Dalmatian Nice comment and well written. I would just point out that our economy was a house of cards to begin with. So it was going to be bad regardless. Just with Trump, it will be way worse. And, since the GOP hold the senate it will be hard to fix, since they are absolutely incapable of ever doing anything for average Americans.
219
@Phyliss Dalmatian
Trump vs Hoover who preceded the Great Depression. At least Hoover was an educated man and a brilliant engineer. Trump a con man who finally got his comeuppance. All of us will suffer this fool too late.
252
Trump's response and actions have been quick and decisive, unlike those that Obama took during the H1N1 outbreak during his presidency. It took a long time for Obama to declare a state of emergency; Trump did it quickly and is getting an aid package through Congress too.
Good job, Mr. President.
6
@Ben According to the CDC: The first H1N1 case was reported in California on April 15, 2009. A public health emergency was called on April 26, 2009. That is an eleven day response. We have known about COVID19 since December and only now, 3 1/2 months later, is it being called an emergency. Up until now Trump and cronies have called it a "hoax" which we will be over with very soon.
23
@Ben This is just wrong.
https://www.cdc.gov/flu/pandemic-resources/2009-pandemic-timeline.html
First case in US: 15Apr2009
Public Heath Emergency Declared: 26Apr2009
And at no time did Obama declare H1N1 was no big deal, the way Trump has with COVID19.
4
If the minimum wage had kept pace with inflation, and unions had been supported and in turn negotiated benefits for millions of Americans, this crisis would not be nearly so bad.
But the right wing has fought against these simple notions for decades, and the Democratic party has turned its back on working people.
What is needed can be found in any speech by Bernie Sanders. Bernie's goals are the standard in the countries that score much higher that the US in overall quality of life.
The status quo is moving the country backwards. Being "moderate" means accepting that. The younger American voters see that and their elders don't.
Same with climate change.
5
The delusions are pathological; permanent. Alternate reality springs not from knowledge and facts but half truths, lies and fabrications. The world Trump lives in thrives on denying facts. Kellyanne framed the condition perfectly coining the phrase alternative facts. Sums up Trump.
2
Does anyone know whether this President is “on” something? Listening to him the other night and to his announcement of a National Emergency this afternoon is like listening to a guy taking a major tranquilizer or maybe something else. His ability to enunciate words is not that sharp, on the radio he sounds as if he was actually swaying. His repetition of simple words as if we don’t understand them is appalling. He sniffs as if he has a really bad stuffy nose. He certainly doesn’t sound like he’s in charge of himself let alone this emergency.
This coronavirus will not “pass through.” Even if more than a thousand Google engineers and scientists from our pharmaceutical companies are working on this we won’t have a vaccine for at least a year. Most people will survive but unless we know how many people who are sick actually have coronavirus (by testing them) we have no way of knowing where the peak is, who has died from it as opposed to some other sickness, we don’t know how it spreads or who spreads it. His speech is replete with kudos to companies that ordinary people expect will do the right thing. Why the extra fawning?
Just overall pathetic. One might feel sorry for him except for the fact that we have three years of learning what a vindictive, bullying, simple minded selfish person he is and how over his head he is in trying to understand, let alone do something now, probably because he can’t take advice and makes decisions “from his gut.”
6
Regarding Trump's speech Wed. night, I was shocked when he exempted England from the travel ban. That's the equivalent of a foreign leader banning all Americans except Texans. What's going to stop Europeans from flying thru London to get here ? And then calling it a 'foreign virus" was just as ridiculous since infectious diseases of any type know no boundaries. So in the end the US will end up with an inadequate response to the virus which will allow it to linger longer here than most other countries, plus more tax cuts to drive up our deficit from $1 trillion to $2-3 trillion.
7
The day will come when European leaders, instead of behaving like responsible adults, decide that they will walk away from Donald Trump and the US. I hope Trump is gone before that happens, but if not, Americans will feel the icy cold that comes from being alone in a cruel world. Is that what we really want? Will we feel great again?
5
"When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies."
I would add a fourth thing: blame anyone else he can.
I realize that this man will never change, but Trump needs to grow up, accept responsibility for the lack-of-testing fiasco and apologize to the country for the missteps. (It's a pipe dream, I know.)
5
This is precisely why so many people have been issuing warnings about the danger of having an incompetent and unstable individual in the Oval Office as commander in chief .
Dealing with Donald Trump and his combined arrogance and stupidity is not that big a deal when everything is working well. It and he however becomes a crisis on top of a crisis the moment that there is a national emergency as we now have.
95
This is why civility, courtesy, mutual respect, decorum are important vitally important in politics. Times like these everyone must come together and work together.
However, Trump and the Reps have destroyed the relationship. NOW they want the Dems to come to the table?!
After Trump’s victory laps, name calling, disparaging personal attacks out of the blue, incessant lying, vitriolic contempt for those on the other side of the aisle who dared to confront his corruption?
And not only are Dems expected to come to the table, but even if they do for the good of the country, after the dust settles, will Trump acknowledge this?
No, he will take full credit for it and then simultaneously, criticize the Dems, painting them as bad guys once again.
This is why you can’t poison the relationship. This is why you need to be a gracious winner.
.
404
@SMcStormy
Trying to envision John Boehner or Paul Ryan working to draft a package to assist Americans during a crisis, knowing that if their package succeeded it would greatly help Americans but would also help Obama’s re-election chances.
That’s where Schumer and Pelosi find themselves. If Americans we’re given access to healthcare and some form of unemployment insurance for the millions of people who work in the service industry who stand to lose their jobs if a quarantine lasts for weeks, trump would look great. He’d be able to say he took decisive leadership at a time of crisis and helped millions of lower and middle class people.
So would republicans have helped democrats during an election year if it meant saving Americans? I think we all know the answer.
29
@SMcStormy
Nonetheless, Ms. Pelosi will come to the table because she takes her responsibility to ALL the American people seriously. She won't be watching people devastated medically or economically if she can help.
6
“When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies.”
You forgot his fourth go-to... banning travel from anywhere he can lay some blame.
1449
Golf, lying, lying, lying
77
@Derek Martin
Bankruptcy is actually his go-to option when things turn sour, a situation with which he is intimately familiar. I am quite sure that his emotional state as his world now collapses around him is déjà vu all over again.
Only this time we are all in the rollercoaster car with him.
42
@Derek Martin
I alway thought when things got bad Trump declared bankruptcy. But what do I know?
And then change wives.
60
I hope the 63 million Americans who voted for Trump are now recognizing, however belatedly, that the presidency is a real job. It is not, as Mr. Trump has treated it, an honorary position with lots of perks and no responsibilities. We are all now paying a heavy price for his complete inability to lead, and I fear that the worst is yet to come.
4231
@lydgate
Polls show Conservatives enthusiastically support Trump's policies and the job he is doing as president. The chances of Trump winning another term and keeping the Senate GOP is a near lock.
20
@gratis No, it's not. Rasmussen polls might show that, real ones do not.
268
@lydgate Let us hope that those who voted for a third party or who threw their vote away by just not voting in 2016 see the error of this ways and consequences of their action. The GOP base will not change. Smart voters who desire a real leader must turn out. Only that can save us.
430
The virus annihilates the America first/MAGA patriotism concepts. We're all connected! Destroys the argument vs universal health care. Promulgates globalism. Seems to make a stronger social net a moral imperative. Shows that the military is useless in certain scenarios. A lot should change after this wake up call BUT IT WON’T.
140
@Billy Shears Hoping you are very much wrong about your last sentence. Hope springs eternal. I think that change is the one thing we can always count on.
5
@Paul Krugman And if we had free market healthcare, I'd bet we'd have masks and test kits.
5
@Billy Shears No man is an island entire unto itself ... and therefore never send to ask for whom the virus tolls. It tolls for thee.
160
This is the moment we’ve all feared for years. Trump now has to actually do the work of a real President in crisis. So far, he’s come up dangerously short. Hopefully, it won’t damage the country too much. I also hope most Americans remember this during the elections.
3221
@Rob I agree. Regrettably when it comes to matters such as competence and the president, our memories are short. However, I think these issues are going to be with us through the summer and most likely fresh in our minds come November. A strong and young VP must be selected by Biden or Bernie to give whoever wins the energy to fight a rough and dirty campaign.
137
@Rob - Yes; and the next question, considering the age profile of the most vulnerable, is how many Extremely Stable Genius 45* supporters intended to bet their lives on the chaos/disruption pandered by this guy as a candidate?
123
@R. Law Or, to be blunt about it, how many of the age demographic facing a much higher mortality rate will even be around to vote in November...
65
Up to now, Trump has been capitalizing on the work of Obama, his competent predecessor. Now Trump must deliver on his own.
The emperor has no clothes.
For all to see.
2703
@Blue Moon
It's worse than that. His elimination of a cabinet post for pandemic preparedness, his cuts to the CDC and global health programs generally, all have made this whole situation far worse than it had to be.
1629
@Blue Moon It was only a matter of time before Trump's incompetence began to effect all of us. We knew it was coming and now that it has started, it will not stop.
124
@Blue Moon
It is really amazing just what solid footing Obama put our country on, after GW Bush led us into disaster. If it weren't for the global pandemic, Trump might have ridden Obama's steadying bailout of the last Republican disaster long enough to sweep the election.
Now, there's a chance enough people will see his incompetence for what it is to get him out of office. But why, oh why, did it have to involve the unnecessary loss of what may amount to thousands of American lives?
174
As I have asked my republican friends/family before: Wouldn't you feel much better right now if someone like Romney, Kasich, or William Weld were president? Someone with actual governing experience?
You'd still get your tax cuts for the wealthy. You'd still get your conservative judges. You'd still be in a position to block any measures to address the affordability and access to health care? And so on.
Why do you need Trump to be in office? He's not getting you anything, except putting us all at risk should there be a national crisis, such as now.
7
What is called for now is much the same as FDR showed at the start of World War II: Clear,decisive leadership. With DJT all we have is a wannabe tee vee star.
Ignoring Trump does wonders for one’s mental health; given recent attempts to nationalize as China/Wuhan/insert-name -of-worst-enemy virus, am bracing myself for BOVID-19 official renaming (Barack Obama Virus 2019).
No big leap here, as insipidity is ONE THING WE CAN COUNT ON!
Corona is more serious for unwell elderly people. Like Joe Biden. If the DNC puts up a cognitively impaired candidate for election, do not look for a Dem victory. Cry all you want, the Dems, especially Krugman, have been in Meltdown since Nov 2016.
1
Re: "...He has treated a dire threat as a public relations problem, combining denial with frantic blame-shifting..."
Meanwhile...Covid-19 DOESN'T listen to P/r, has no awareness of the impending, (8+ months, hence...), 2020-presidential-election, and like gravity...has no pity.
Where's K.A.Conway, with her, ('alternate_facts_inspired'), fantasies?
Each day I watch embarrassed that this buffoon is our representative. The epitome of ignorance, embarrassment, glorified hypocrisy. An amoral character which occupies the front page of our papers, our headlines, nightly news, and spews nonsense and lies about our economy, politics, the administration, the health crises we are currently facing and have faced, the atrocities going on in the Middle East with our military’s, our foreign policies and relationships he has destroyed, close as many agency’s protecting people’s rights, the interstate relationships with governments and governors he individually attacks, the sexual harassment, inappropriate misconduct, and verbal inappropriate behavior he has exhibited in past and present and his intention to constantly cause divide and chaos for alternative self-serving purposes.
These are just to name a few of my many concerns and anger inducing issues with this acutely narcissistic personality disordered individual who is finally hit a point of fracturing and it has become on full display. He is a very mentally sick & dangerous individual who is planning on taking many with him, when & if he goes - it doesn’t matter what the casualty count is. Keep eyes open.
Well said, especially the last sentence: We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard.
When I think about Trump and his loyal base, the story of the boy who calls out as the King walks down the road in his new, invisible suit, "the King has no cloths on" laying bare for all the loyal Trump Republicans the honest truth that rather than being a stable genius he's an unstable idiot.
Build The Wall. NOW. NO Open Borders. Illegals are NOT our precious little friends.
1
Democrats. You honestly think Hillary could be doing more than Trump? You think Biden could handle this better than Trump? You think Republicans are the problem? You hypocrites.
1
Melt down of mind? What mind?
Republicans have for years existed only to obstruct and deny. It is apparent that they are in way over their heads when a life and death situation is presented. They have no idea and look to be a bunch of bumbling idiots. They have no solutions because stoking fear in imaginary issues has kept them in power. When a true crisis comes about, denial and devastating ignorance is on full display and it is becoming apparent to those that are smart enough to see through their smoke screen what the party of trump actually is.
During the blitz, Churchill made many speeches on radio directly to his people. The speeches always had the same structure. The first part gave a frank assessment of threats and hardships. The second part gave assurance that, if the Britons pulled together, they would be victorious. Trump’s speeches on the virus also have two parts. First, lie about facts in plain view. (Or as Groucho would put it, “Who are you gonna believe, me or your lying eyes?”). Second, talk about yourself. Had Trump been the British Prime Minister during the blitz, Hitler would have won the war by 1941.
"America First" in Trumpspeak means "America Alone."
"what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard."
nothing new here....
The odious Republicans would be more than happy to use this virus to help destroy Social Security.
Another anti-Trump tirade.
I am likely to vote for Trump just because I am tired of the visceral hatred of him I see expressed, every day, by partisan hacks at the NYT. There are lots of things wrong with Trump, but his failure to magically stop an epidemic is not one of them.
1
So what else is new ?
Nobody sinks to the occasion like Donald Trump and his government-hating Republican cult.
"Take two tax cuts and call me from the morgue !"
Nice GOPeople.
2
Just another day in Twitterville.
This November, dump Trump.
1
"...incompetent, delusional blowhard."
A+ Mr. Krugman, you nailed it.
1
… and his obsession for blaming Obama...
1
The sad part of the state of our nation is that millions of supporters of the incompetent narcissist racist still believe that this is all a hoax.
At a time in our nation's history when we need to be united we have a person occupying the White House who is more concerned with his personal fortune being affected than he is for the American people.
I pray to God above that in November we end this nightmare and retake the Senate as well. The real virus that is bringing our country down is in the White House.
1
"Trump’s response has been worse than even his harshest critics could have imagined. He has treated a dire threat as a public relations problem, combining denial with frantic blame-shifting."
No big surprise here. We've been living with this idiot for over three years. He is simply incapable of the job he is in. Fire him!
1
"Every thing that Trump touches dies". Literally
1
You don't get fascists like Trump and all Republicans. They are so hateful and bigoted, their natural response is to scapegoat those they hate. As long as you walk around what these fascists say, you deserve to be ruled by them.
I would propose only replying to the fascism and hate and not the fake point they are trying to make. Always talk to their hate and intolerance only. (or jail all fascists, but it is hard to find them because all they do is lie).
1
Cut the nonsense. You’ve hated Trump from the beginning. He’ll outlast you.
1
Ok Everyone. This is a storm. It will pass. We just need to take proper precautions like social distancing, wash hands, be wary of surfaces we touch, don't touch our face with unclean hands, etc. We have to assume we are all carriers and don't get close to at risk populations (ie elderly, immune compromised folks...) and limit exposure to other human beings. Covid-19 is a living organism that needs a host like a human body/animal and feeds on the nutrients of saliva. It needs the saliva and moisture of breath in order to travel outside of the host body. It cannot travel on its own. On surfaces (via saliva/moisture) it may live for 10 days until the moisture dries out and then it will die like any organism starved of nutrients. We have seen that it can be killed with a simple Clorox wipe, so clean your keyboard, counters, anything you touch. Businesses will need to evacuate when an employee tests positive so the virus can dry out and die. When the weather warms up, say Arizona, you will see a reduction in Covid 19-cases as it will dry up and die in the hot Arizona sun. We will get a respite but for the virus to be truly decimated, we need to deprive it of hosts or human bodies. This has been done for millennia. It is not new. Consider this a vacation as we all need to become homebodies. Catch up on all your Netflix/Amazon/Hulu/Youtube shows. FaceTime your family. Work from home. Tweet. We will get through this as long as we are united. Take care. We will be fine
Unfortunately, Trump's base doesn't care a whit about his general level of competency.
The rich and corporate part of his base care only about windfall tax cuts for themselves and deregulation of any laws that might tend to limit their short term profits.
For the other part of his base, the racist, xenophobic, homophobic, gun nuts, they will be completely satisfied that corona virus is a commie plot, and/or a left wing media hoax.
With both groups, Trump's presidential competence is irrelevant.
1
"Incompetent delusional blowhard." Finally, in plain language! Thank you, Dr.Krugman for not using obsequious language for our lying "leader."
1
I noticed Jeff Bezos was not among the corporate brigade at trump's news conference today. You are so spiteful, Mr. President!
1
“Where there is no vision, the people perish.”
— Proverbs 29:18
1
"Fails to rise"? Uh, a souffle' might fail to rise, but our gangster-president? He's sunk so low that he's literally coming out the other end of the world, maybe in Wuhan itself. He should go visit Wuhan, it might teach him that the Democrats aren't to blame after all. Or maybe not - he's incapable of learning a darn thing, as confirmed by his mangling even reading a simple speech from a teleprompter.
2
When, oh when will he stop blaming Obama?
1
Trump is incapable of anything except being an incompetent, delusional blowhard. That was obvious before the 2016 election.
1
sorry, much as i would like (t)Rump to be responsible for creating the current crisis, the corona virus is simply not a real crisis. it has been blown up into a de facto crisis by the media and probably by russian internet trolls, but it is not a crisis of the magnitude that public hysteria has morphed it into. first and foremost the death rate is relatively low. the population most at risk are the elderly and people with underlying medical conditions. both groups that can isolate themselves until the pandemic subsides. those that do get it have relatively mild symptoms and recover. and young people seem to be not affected at all. this is a crisis of our own making and while (t)Rump has been completely ineffective in what ever response has been required from the government he is at root not to blame for the mess we have made of things.
It is unfair to blame President Trump for reacting late or little. He shouldn't get involved at all. The private sector, the invisible hand, should take care of the situation. We are not a socialist country.
On the other hand why the invisible hand have waited that long and reacted only after hearing the government's incentives is a question that we all need to think. I guess Bernie has a point are we in a kind of socialist system without knowing it??? Scary!
You neglected to mention a fourth thing Trump repeatedly does when bad things happen: blame Obama. Still does, even today in a news conference, but to acknowledge the impact all the budgetary cuts to those agencies who could have been involved in more proactive measures had they been adequately funded to deal with this crisis is to ask Trump to be honest, an impossibility.
10
Dr. Krugman wrote that he found it difficult to believe that the absence of substantial early testing is not in some way connected to President Trump's politics. I in turn find would like to know if Dr. Krugman or anyone on the congressional committees investigating this matter asked if the designated federal agency had procedures for such testing in place during any of the previous four or five presidential administrations. Given previous federal unpreparedness for multiple sorts of other disasters, I would not be surprised if the answer is no.
6
The Dim Donnie crew in his government would be on the fringes or worse if we had a president interested in doing the work to shore up the bureaucracy Trump has slowly but surely destroyed over the last 3.5 years. Trump doesn’t hire on skill set but unquestioned loyalty to his paranoiac mindset. Therefore the lack of quality in Trump’s government is in full flower.
6
I think Krug could go further and argue that the present crisis is a vindication of the mixed capitalist/socialist model of society as proven by Trump's utter helplessness in coming up with a rational "free market" approach to the virus. Indeed, his $1Trillion defense budget is all but helpless in the face of the biggest threat to our security in some time.
All the Fox Nation "laissez faire" talking points have been reduced to ashes.
Taiwan used to be the paragon of capitalism in the East, a nation of refugees from Mao's Communist revolution. Not long ago they realized their laissez faire health care system just didn't respond to modern needs and they set about creating a comprehensive solution. The Times ran a piece today about how they tackled the latest threat.
3
The White House is losing credibility and its ability in attracting top talents. We should all be very concerned. The US government has been the initiating driving force which kick started most of technological and scientific developments in the country, think internet, solar power, telecommunication, nuclear energy, NASA...It is/was a vitally important institution for the world not only in innovation but also in social reforms. Instead of attracting the brightest and most talented people with more than only financial ambitions, the US government is now dramatically losing crucial talents. This is extremely alarming. Bear in mind, countries like China, only the cream of the crop university graduations get to work for the government. Go figure.
7
@Jeremy It's been pulling from the D-List for a long time. Nobody of any credibility would work for this White House.
As Dr. Krugman points a payroll tax is the wrong approach. People like me will be working overtime in this crisis. I don’t need a tax break. Because we are afraid to go out I’ll be spending a lot more money at Amazon.com which does nothing to help the local economy. Meanwhile the unemployed will get nothing.
5
I live in Europe and I think the travel ban is not quite pointless, but that by and large travel between US and Europe would have naturally trickled down to almost nothing due to most people hunkering down at home and local government recommending people avoid travelling. Who wants to be in an enclosed environment with hundreds of strangers for hours on end at this time?
So Trump missed a fantastic opportunity to look like a world leader and coordinate this ban with other governments in Europe. It would have taken a few hours, tops, and everyone would have congratulated him. Sad.
7
He is utterly incapable of acting like a world leader. On behalf of my fellow Americans to Europe and everywhere, I am dreadfully sorry.
I’m not a Trump fan at all, and while his briefing earlier this week was awful, he should get kudos for today’s briefing. He brought the right people together and let them speak.
3
@Tim Mawhinney This “President” was calling this crisis a “hoax, no worse than the flu”, etc less than a month ago, and deserves no “kudos” for any of his actions surrounding the oncoming crisis. He and his administration deserves complete destruction, we would all be better off without them.
2
Revenues at other Atlantic City casinos rose 18 percent from 1997 through 2002; Mr. Trump’s fell by 1 percent. My bet is that the odds that Trump will handle the coronavirus in the best manner possible is 18 to 1.
10
Paul Krugman said, "When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies."
Add one more - and he always blames Obama.
28
Democrats should support a cut in the payroll tax, which is our most regressive tax, even though it would help Trump.
A check for a fixed amount sent to every citizen with an address would be good too but would not get through Congress.
2
@Kevin Cahill
You know payroll tax funds social security and Medicare, right?
"Notice, by the way, that these measures would help the economy in an election year, and therefore arguably help Trump politically. But Democrats are willing to do the right thing anyway — a stark contrast to the behavior of Republicans after the 2008 financial crisis, when they offered scorched-earth opposition to anything that might mitigate the damage."
Yeah, those Dems rose to the occasion to save millions of homeowners from losing their homes, jobs, and savings. But the Dems did save Robert Rubin! Praise the Lord.
6
The future is unfortunately easy to predict, at least medium term. I desperately hope to be proved wrong:
1) Any organized response to the virus will be *in spite of* the Trump and the Republican Administration.
2) Any attempt to create a centralized organization outside of the Republican Administration will be seen as a threat and deliberately undermined by same.
Local, State, and Individual efforts will be effective but will only be organized at a level that can be supported by backroom communications; they will be delayed and patchwork. Tragically, this is guaranteed to cost lives.
If you have any doubt, you only need to look at the early efforts of medical experts in Seattle to begin testing for the virus, efforst that were halted by the federal government. To their credit Seattle decided to proceed without federal approval. After a delay.
If you have any doubt, you only need to look at Trump's stated intention to stop any agreement between Mnuchin and the House on immediate relief actions.
And in the end, any successful efforts will be claimed by this very Republican Administration that is too inept to work in the nation's best interests.
Unless.
Unless a non-partisan, non-religious group can be found to organize relief efforts. Forget testing for the virus, that won't be readily available for at least 3 weeks; and will push us into April. According to the best models, the virus is spreading rapidly. We need organization of information.
Suggestions?
5
Best suggestion: 25 45, then proceed as if we were a rational nation. A heavy lift, I know.
13
We must all remember that Trump told us that the virus was a "hoax."
He confidently assured us days ago that anyone who wanted to be tested for the virus could be tested immediately, which had to be contradicted by others in his administration. He pointed out that he understood the situation very well because his uncle was a genius.
This confirms that he has no knowledge of even rudimentary science. Those public statements reveal that he thinks that millions of American voters are even stupider than he is.
If he is re-elected this year, American democracy is deservedly finished.
30
incompetence, lies,misleading,looking for a scapegoat to blame ( accusing EU of poor management of the crisis) these are the Trump 's accomplishments so far even shifting the failure of test on Obama 'administration. What a leader for America !
18
It is reality check for Donald. COVID-19 does not exist in Donald's universe and alternative facts. COVID-19 does not believe on Donald as well.
7
Very Sad as it seems some around here are happy about the coronavirus situation.
First there was Russia,,then Impeachment, that didn't work to bring down Trump.
Now a foreign illness that will hurt the most vulnerable Americans.
How low will you people go?
5
Gee, I would have thought that you’d know. After all, using the deaths of thousands, the sickening of a hundred thousand so far, the nose-dive of the world economy, and worse to come, all to score petty little points against your fellow Americans, all for a fool of a president (lower case intentional), seems to me to be getting pretty far down towards the lowest you could go.
1
@Joe Paper
Not sure how you came up with that but it seems like trumped supporters live in a,very delusional world just like trump.
1
Paul, you – of all people – shouldn’t be laying this entirely at Trump’s feet…
Recall the innumerable glorious benefits to be had from our post-manufacturing society…
I'd always speculated/feared that one part of the TPP was to deeply entrench a geographically-compartmentalized supply chain for the pharma industry, with simpler drugs and biomolecular feedstocks coming from China (even as it was touted as firewall to Chinese hegemony), biologics from South Korea, incremental discovery and animal testing done in Singapore, and a fair amount of actual production in Japan…
Or along similar lines…
But here’s the thing…
To riff on Chris’s query re Jussie – what the heck were they thinking…
To offshore every enabling feedstock and fabricator for the pharma industry except the clickthrough software license – in the middle of a geo which has 10X the people that does North America…
Or was the ultimate shafting of the American people to be that the output of all of this would be openly sold in Asia and Africa for somewhere between 10X and 1000X lower than what they’d be priced at, in this country…
PS
Singapore’s about the size and population of NYC – if it were to dump Brooklyn…
Korea’s about the size and population of Virginia – if everyone in California were to move in…
5
Donald Trump exempted Great Britain from the travel ban because he owns golf courses there.
11
Right now payroll tax is at 7.65% each for employee and employer, with a cap at the first $137,700 of earnings. How about cutting the rate but increasing the cap--maybe even removing the cap entirely? Then lower earners will pay less, and higher earners will pay more, but if the percentage is set properly, at least as much money goes into the coffers for Social Security and Medicare. I don't have the data to calculate what the new rate would have to be.
5
When businesses close this is moot. If everyone is quarantined there is no work, there are no jobs and no paychecks to tax.
5
You recall that this is the first President who boasted that he could shoot someone and see no consequences. Now comes his self regard and incompetence and we see that he can kill lots and lots of people. Amazing. How fortunate can a grifter be?
9
For a thorough review of how Trump systematically crippled our nation's capacity to fight the coronavirus see
https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/01/31/coronavirus-china-trump-united-states-public-health-emergency-response/
Trump would be toast, should be toast, will be toast, except we have a huge number of people who have rationalized away science or facts. They are then supremely ignorant, arrogantly ignorant and a menace to themselves and the rest of the nation.
We have covet-19, coronavirus, and we have diehard Trump supporters. It is difficult to decide which is more dangerous.
9
Unfortunately, I've already seen that his believers continue to believe him and although those of us who are sane see this as his obvious doom, it's apparently not so obvious.
Don't be complacent!
Come November, hordes of repubs will be swarming to the voting booths to vote for him again. And I'm quite sure even if they have to do it while wearing respirators or wheeled in on gurneys, they will.
11
That's why he put Pence as the "Lead" of the Cornavirus task force. Trump is going to blame everything on Pence, replace him as VP pick because of 'botched cornavirus leadership' and keep trucking forward like nothing happened... That's what I foresee
65
@Chandon
Spot on , Cassandra!
As a Canadian I am appalled at what is happening to my American cousins! My hospital just announced a drive by testing for the virus so you don't even have to get out of your car! And watching you folks stumbling around in the dark as you try to get the simplest thing like voting properly done loeaves me speechless! Good luck with the lives of your citizens.
13
The most dangerous infection in the history of the USA is DJT.
18
When you have a cartoon character as president not much good will come of it.
4
It would be interesting if economics students were also required to take a course or two in acting or theater. Then, instead of focusing on hypothetical and impossible things like what a reasonable person would do, they would know that the key question in most human decisions is, what’s my motivation?
2
The failures of the Trump administration to address this crisis are certainly due to a large measure in the "deconstruction of the administrative state", something Trump and his mentor, Steve Bannon are so proud of. It's important to realize that the "administrative state" has some utility and that breaking things for the sake of breaking them isn't generally a good idea.
10
Has the City on a shining hill run out of light?
2
I wonder how Trump will handle the news that Chinese businessman Jack Ma is donating 500,000 test kits plus a million marks to the USA. That should go down a treat.
8
Trump seems more like a drowning panicky man, grasping at whatever Stephen Miller throws in front of him than the leader of the free world. But then he's been an incompetent, delusional blowhard from the day he took his oath. He won't change though, he can't and won't because that's what he has always been. His presidency will be the aberration that we'll remember for utter failure and the GOPs darkest moment. If they're not both wiped out next November we deserve everything that comes after.
6
What we have seen is that the destruction of the world , in effect, is a relatively easy task.
F3
4
The lack of a moral compass prevents current leadership from doing what's right because he/they first want to figure out how to best capitalize on tragedy, such as undermining social security (cut payroll taxes), shoring-up abortion restrictions (amend emer. covid-19 funding) and bailing out long-failing fossil fuel companies (top-off strategic reserves.) Witness the GOP paralyzed by greed, drowning in lies and driven by self-preservation -- as always -- but now on public display.
9
“When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies.”
You left “Blame Obama” of the list.
16
If nothing else is learned from this crisis, we must save and replay Turmp's "performances" so that people finally see that, whatever your politics, there are some things you just can't lie your way out of.
4
CORRECTION :I was worried from the beginning that something like this would happen.
SHOULD READ : I was hoping from the beginning that something like this would happen.
4
It's unfortunate that "mental illness" is not a primary criteria of impeachment. Criteria needs to be revised to reflect modern times.
14
Trump is unable to bully the virus into submission..what to do, what to do...flush out the losing hand...bring on Kushner and Miller.
8
In the previous payroll tax cut, the US Treasury paid Social Security and Medicare the revenue these programs lost because of the tax cut.
I don't know enough economics to know if a payroll tax cut makes sense now.
If a payroll tax cut is adopted we must again make sure that Social Security and Medicare are again protected.
107
@david It makes no sense in this case because the issue isn't propping up demand generically in a recession. A lot of people will not lose any income from this. I took my work laptop home and can keep doing my job without interruption. Others may even see massive overtime checks, particularly if they work in health care.
But other people -- those who work in tourism, retail, performing arts, and many services -- won't have much income to pay payroll taxes ON. So reducing their tax withholding won't help. They need paid leave if they are sick, and unemployment compensation if they are laid off for the duration.
77
Not just protected, but shortfalls are corrected as the price for the next stock market bailout.
5
@david Tax cuts for the unemployed are the perfect Republican cure all. They cost nothing and the poor get what they Plutocrats believe they deserve, allowing them to ask, "Why donchu-all jes' pull yourselfs up by yer strapless bootstraps?"
13
Don't forget what David Brooks said. As much as Trump has bungled the testing as a means of making himself and the economy look better, there is the human angle that supersedes all else. People are suffering from fear and disease. They are only looking out for themselves. That is a pained state to be in. We have to maintain our humanity despite the confusion and panic. If we want to return to normal eventually, we have to vow to emerge with a new normal, a better normal. We have to start treating each other better.
8
Classify information about a pandemic, that serves only one purpose, to hide trumps utter incompetence.
4
All true, and one more contrast: when the 2008 crisis hit, Dubya at least yielded the floor to the adults in the room, Tim Geithner and Henry Paulson. He knew he was out of his depth, though he understood it was a crisis, and he let them handle it.
None of that obtains this time, which, of course makes it all the more scary.
And even so, the voters punished the Republicans in 2008, because they understood, to a degree at least, that the Republicans were to blame. Dubya, of course, wasn't running for re-election then; Trump is.
Has the country slid politically so far in the last 12 years that the voters will fail to punish Trump this time?
278
Thanks. Finally I can have a generous thought about W. I still have a question about who Trump's adults might be.
14
@Paul Krugman Thank you for your response, Professor. No doubt you already know that the president's moral compass is no further evolved than a two-year-old's: He cannot see beyond his own nose. And this was evident to everyone with eyes open long before the 2016 election.
We must revisit the old saying, "The Constitution is not a suicide pact." If the Constitution allowed Donald Trump to become President--and it did--then the Constitution, it turns out, IS a suicide pact, and millions may die as proof.
24
@Paul Krugman I’m not sure what the correct psychological term is for Trump’s condition, but time and again he shows a complete absence of empathy or consideration for his fellow humans. Every statement, every policy recommendation provides him an opportunity to express some measure of care about the suffering, and at every one he fails to do so. He can’t fake it, he sees no reason to do it, he is blind to human suffering. Who would want a leader like that?
27
The proposed payroll tax cut will do absolutely nothing for those who need it the most, but are specifically designed to undermine Social Security and Medicare, which will no doubt lead to calls for a reduction, if not an end, to those programs.
1108
@Stenotrophomonas It's nothing buy an obvious bribe to low information voters, who will see the bump in pay and thank Trump. They won't look at the long-term consequences.
72
@Stenotrophomonas only this President would respond to a national health crisis by attacking Americans’ health care. Does anyone doubt that we have at the helm an extremely disturbed individual?
71
@Stenotrophomonas yes, and although Krugman writes that well-paid workers will get some $$, I seem to recall the last time they did that, cut the payroll tax, it was almost imperceptible in my paycheck. Less than $40, it seemed llike.
40
And by way of contrast, today, in Biden and Sanders, we saw two responsible, caring, honest leaders. Which ever man emerges as the Democratic nominee, whether or not they were anyone’s preferred candidate, will be light years ahead of Trump. They both rose to an occasion which Trump failed spectacularly.
1996
@NM Yes, both men sounded like presidents. Realistically, Biden will be the nominee; don't you wish he were already in office?
324
@Paul Krugman Lord, yes. Joe knows what he doesn't know. He watched Obama work in 2008. He's an adult. Those simple facts make him manifestly better than Trump in a situation like this, and frankly in any situation at all. Admittedly, that is a low bar. But we are where we are.
29
@Paul Krugman Yes, I do wish Biden was in office now. Not only would he extend a hand out to our allies during this crisis, but he would move quickly and deftly to use the government to handle this in the most efficient and quality-control way possible. Fauci et al are superior and trustworthy. Trump, like Grover, wants to drown the government. Thank you for your words. Keep them coming! It is a crisis.
28
It appears 45*¡™ wants to apply to the adage of "never waste a good crisis" and tossed the travel ban that he has longed for into the pandemic cake.
When a crisis or a catastrophe is bungled, flubbed, or mis-managed, I think it would be best to attach the bungler's name to the event as you might give TOP-BILLING to a movie?
We are in the middle of the tRump - COVID-19, while the markets are experiencing a tRump - correction.
Nixon Watergate could replace adding the suffix "-gate" to illegal covert acts uncovered. Colossal failures in leadership deserve TOP-BILLING...!
1
Though the math is beyond me, the implications of Chaos Theory seem to suggest that a situation can often worsen but be ignored (or denied!) until an unforeseen event triggers a catastrophic release of pent up hazards.
See the Wikipedia article, "Buffalo Creek flood" and note the parallels between then and there and here and now; corrupt authority overrode the whistle blowers and over 100 innocents died. To minimize the economic inconvenience, righteous authorities declared it "an act of God".
As Mark Twain pointed out, we are much less troubled by the things we do not know than by our willingness to know things that are not so.
4
Most of you are in fantasy land. The only way to fairly judge the handling of this situation is to compare it with the 2009 swine flu outbreak. Read some of the news from 2009 when many thousands of people died in the US, and you will see the stark contrast. No blame placed on the president. No blame placed on the Democrats. No shutting down schools. No cancelling sporting events. 575,000 deaths worldwide & no big deal! These things happen every few years & will continue to happen in the future.
4
I have liquidated my entire retirement savings and will be visiting the local casino and horse racing track soon. Bet on black, and sea biscuit in the third to show. Better odds than “staying the course” in the house of cards stock market. The only individuals who profit from stocks are the hedge fund managers, the brokers, and the bankers. Individuals holding 401K, and other investment vehicles will get a “haircut”, the WSJ term used to indicate a loss of capital. Trump needs a haircut, and a nice long jail sentence. With only 10 years to retirement, I cannot afford the wait out the downturn. The 1929-type crash is here and those who ignore history will suffer.
3
In the midst of everything else I'm finding these continual references to the 1918 H1N1 pandemic as "Spanish flu" every bit as irritating as the current right wing insistence on referring to COVID-19 as the Chinese virus. Quite apart from the stigma that feeds into the stupid nativism that's currently driving American public health policy, it is factually wrong. That pandemic originated in Kansas & spread with American troop mobilization for WWI. Read "The Great Influenza" by John Barry
3
"zero, zip, nada..."
Sounds like the student loan forgiveness benefit for those who paid off their loans. It happens.
1
That may, in fact, be the case. But right now, I don't see finger-pointing to be at all helpful. Can we focus on the task at hand?
4
@Julia Indeed, the opportunistic politicizing of this issue isn't helping. What happened to American's joining together in times of crisis? Not finger pointing and publishing political puff pieces in response?
3
Thanks Krugman. All of your points are well made and spot on.
4
We have to think out of box.
In the pandemics the testing is obsolete.
We know the answer. The coronavirus will spread everywhere.
The question is how to help millions of people...
Like in the military, you don't wait on the enemy to show up to implement the defensive measures.
You implement the measures immediately...
46
@Kenan Porobic Nope. Without testing, you are doing nothing to prevent the "bubble" of cases. There is no treatment to slow that down, and data is key. No tests, no data, no containment. The military model is here useless (as it often is in real life).
43
@Kenan Porobic,
I sure hope you never held military command. There, you wait until you have information about the enemy before choosing the best measures to defeat him. What you are advocating is derided in military terms as "ready, fire, aim."
8
@Brad Price
The testing is as useless as the prayers.
It's solely the implementation of the defensive measures that protect us.
1
The people who will need the most financial help will be the low-wage workers who will be laid off or will be home for weeks with no sick leave, no health insurance and no savings.
8
The Republicans had a chance to impeach this fraudulent President but they choose to allow him to continue to be in charge. This is what happens when the village chooses the Village Idiot as their mayor.
14
What do:
1929 (Great Depression),
1987 (Reagan Great Recession),
2008 (Bush Great Recession) and
2020 (Trump Great Recession)
all have in common?
A Republican president pursuing idiotic backward-looking policies to enrich his friends.
All ideologies have flaws. However, the conservative the most flaw:
1) The desire to return to the past (impossible)
2) To an idyllic period (that never existed).
Peter Pan, Mary Poppins and Alice from Wonderland could do a better job running the country than any Republican.
13
At this moment , hearing Trump's talk is just plain demoralizing.
His talks doesn't contain anything remotely rational, wise, emphatic , instead you are just feeling veiled hostility and hate.
We are enough with this president, I do not know who but GOP some people must rise to occasion and tell Trump simply shut up and let the experts do the job.
Global pandemic which never experienced since 1918 at this level clearly is not the job of who is main talent is bankrupting the businesses .
3
Trump’s other stand-by reaction is to blame Obama. He blames Obama for CDC red tape requirements causing the slowdown of testing.
He has been very busy getting rid of every good thing Obama did for work, health, financial and environmental protections. That was done with a simple swipe of his pen and pleased his friends in the oil and gas industry.
Too bad he was not interested in reviewing our readiness for the next pandemic. Instead he thought it more important to actually do away with the head of pandemic response Obama had put in place, along with the team that gathered information from other countries so we would be more pro actively prepared in predicting possible trouble.
It is his own responsibility that we were caught unprepared. Since these new diseases are always going to happen, why would anyone with any intelligence throw out a very effective defense that protected us? Only someone as stupid as trump, that’s who! He doesn’t understand basic common sense measures and is incapable of forward thinking. He had his four fantasy years, now we can get back to reality by voting him gone.
7
The problem I see going forth is change, as in, "we're going to have to". I've studied conservativism some since '16, and have come to think a large component of it is simply fear of change. We learned that the world was X when we were kids, where X was the prevailing set of attitudes and beliefs of the time. I've come to believe that conservativism or progressivism is connected to the ease of which we can change our learned beliefs to fit new data.
The world is changing rapidly as our population balloons, and with it, our consumption of natural resources. We can't return to Mayberry - it's been bulldozed and replaced by track houses. When people pretend this isn't true, you get Trump, and at some point thereafter, you get a disaster.
5
Absolutely, fear and a host of other emotions drive the conservative mind.
Clinical Psychologists have proven that they use more emotions and less logic in the decision making process.
Emotions, especially fear, are a powerful thing and sometimes hard to control. This is why they battle so ferociously against change.
3
I provide outpatient pulmonary care for patients with chronic respiratory infections. In my professional and personal experience, flutter valves such as Aerobika, Acapella, VPEP or PocketPEP, effectively loosen bronchial mucus and help reduce the burden of inhaled respiratory pathogens. I suggest that airway clearance therapies including nasal saline rinses might reduce the burden of respiratory pathogens and clinical illness while we develop protective immunity.
7
The irony of a self-described germaphobe being brought down by a virus is delicious.
7
"When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies.
"We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard."
Exactly.
4
Rememember Andrew Yang and his $1000 a month pitch? Seemed nuts. But today, it's not looking all that bad.
3
What a boring, little man. This same person, when Trump was elected, predicted the stock market would sink. It went on to make record highs. I don’t care how many Nobel prizes he has won. I take everything he says with a grain of salt.
1
@1truenorth That can sometimes be the burden of calling for better engineering in an earthquake zone; building shelters in a tornado alley, or public health infrastructure in congested world. When predictions turn out to be correct, prognosticators are blamed for the events taking too long to arrive.
2
@Paul Huh! Your comment is totally out of left field. Not sure what the stock market has to do with earthquakes. No one, especially a prominent person like Paul should be predicting the direction of the stock market. I trade the markets all day, every day.
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Chris Perruna
@cperruna
$SPX up 33% in 2019 (exactly 1 year later), from the video and prediction.
"Those who have knowledge, don't predict. Those who predict, don't have knowledge." - Lao Tzu
In devising responses to the pandemic crisis the number one criteria used by tRUMP and his family particularly jARED, likely is how to maximize their profits and/or reduce their tax liability. As a side effect the criteria will also enrich their rich friends. Since large gatherings are not wanted they may close Mar-a-Lago and their hotels (which would experience reduced occupancy anyway) and reopen them as hospitals or places for those infected and have the government reimburse them at the regular rate like they do for the secret service guarding them.
This is similar to the policies used to hopefully introduce things to aid poorer communities which was used by Jared's real estate interests to make money.
1
What's-his-name and his puppy dog Pence can reassure us by completely recusing themselves from the pandemic response team, and unify us by resigning effective immediately. At this point, in no other way is reassurance or unity possible. Literally millions of Americans could needlessly die because of this unfit president, his bad-faith immoral Republicans, and his credulous culty base. Read the comments here from the Trump base: "No problem. Only 40 dead. He's right to only worry is the economy." Today Italy is reporting close to a 7% death rate. As Nicholas Kristof writes elsewhere here today:
"At this point we may already have tens of thousands of infections in the United States -- no one knows, because testing has been catastrophically bungled ... We have already squandered weeks in which the president scoffed at the coronavirus ..."
8
As this crisis continues, I’m sure Republicans will call for reductions in SS and Medicare based on the deaths of so many older Americans. Lovely people.
9
Doing away with payroll tax is a win-win.
1. It puts money in the pockets of employed people who don't especially need it, while the laid off and unemployed get nada (always a plus for Repubs). And.
2. It's a big step towards destroying social security, a GOP goal for 80+ years.
8
As Paul Krugman no doubt knows, the mystery surrounding the nation’s apparently incompetent non-response to the coronavirus crisis stems from Trump’s politically based refusal to respond, the steel muzzle he has imposed on the agencies charged with protecting public health, and his methodical effort to defund and dismantle science-informed government. The longer testing is delayed, the more Trump benefits. The fewer cases identified, the more he and his enablers can call this a hoax and a non-issue. The longer he can characterize this —shockingly — as no worse than a seasonal flu outbreak, the better his re-election chances, or so he fantasizes. The longer ignorance prevails, the less able the populace will be to unify in an effective response. As a result, rational heads are imposing smart, non-partisan public health responses to the crisis. Will it be enough to counter the government’s refusal to test its populace even when they report the precise symptoms and test negative for everything else? We will see. I have no confidence that the testing barrier erected by this administration will be overcome soon. I have every confidence that the existential, toxic threat posed by our extreme-narcissist, sociopathic president and his toxic, greedy GOP enablers will continue. I am an atheist, but no phrase better serves the moment than god help us all.
5
You forgot a 4th and higher priority tactic that trump uses in the face of bad things happening...he defaults to blaming Obama. The irony of this being that trump takes credit daily for the thriving economy he inherited from Obama even as numbers particularly GDP proves that trump has actually hurt the economy and yet whenever there's something bad occurring usually of his own making he finds the most obscure data point to obfuscate into a reason to blame Obama. It's adolescent and frustrating that the MSM allows trump to spin reality to whatever suits his agenda.
4
Throughout his career Donald Trup has botched it all. He is now botching his greatest opportunity to actually be a leader. I'm not holding my breath. Trump University anyone?
2
"His big idea for the economy is a complete payroll tax holiday."
Do the old white MAGA folks realize that the payroll tax is the mechanism--the sole mechanism, in fact--for financing Social Security and Medicare?
Both programs are suffering from a decrease in funds (because the working-age portion of the U.S. population is shrinking relative to the overall population) and an increase in expenditures (because, of course, with baby boomers going into retirement, the elderly population is growing).
By attacking immigration, Trump has been reducing the funding for these retirement programs (undocumented immigrants are a particularly helpful part of that funding because most pay in but few ever draw the benefits). Now he wants to avoid collecting FICA taxes from everyone for 8 months, creating an even greater income problem for Social Security and Medicare.
Maybe it's time that MAGA's biggest demographic share start figuring out that their Dear Leader keeps stripping the funds for the government benefits most of them rely upon.
4
This deliberate neglect of the pandemic suggests that Stephen Miller and Donald Trump are trying to cull the old and weak to cut government costs and redistribute their wealth.
11
Look on the bright side, by tanking the economy and denying reality, trump may have unintentionally mitigated global warming for a nanosecond in geologic time.
1
We'll survive COVID-19, but it isn't clear if we'll be as lucky with COVFEFE-45.
16
We spend trillions upon trillions on the military (that has not won a war since WWII), and yet we are not able to give our citizens a virus test.
13
In Europe the idea of unpaid sick leave is completely inconceivable. Anyone with a job is entitled to sick leave, even for prolonged periods. And anyone is entitled to health care, even in countries with an insurance-based system like Switzerland, everyone gets cared for, as the poor get assistance and effectively pay nothing out of pocket.
Having lived in the Old World for several years now, I cannot even conceive of living in a system where the poor are expected to work while sick, and to die if they can't pay for health care when they need it. America is the sickest country of the Western world, and I'm afraid that the Coronavirus will expose its systemic failure in protecting its own citizens. It could well be a catastrophe of epic proportions, which would make the American deaths of WWII look like a small blip in the timeline.
6
What we are seeing right now is a preview of worse crises to come.
The GOP has proven to be completely corrupt and incompetent; they will be completely unable and unwilling to combat emerging climate and health disasters.
Maybe this will be a wake up call for them. But I doubt it. Right now half the electorate and half our government is more interested in cashing out before the apocalypse rather than avoiding one.
8
To think, I just had a conversation with a public school librarian, regarding if all shuts down- will the people get paid by Fed Funding. What did this Trump supporter say? "Oh, (laughing) they all just want to get the money like usual." I have and had no words.
4
Those that voted against Trump knew this would be the response to a crisis. Trump has been a lucky citizen and, now President. Up until January 2020, he has never had to step up to lead anything. He was allowed to fail, slither away from responsibility and initiate distractions to remove blame.
Yet, on Election Day in 2016, millions chose to let their racism, sexism, and/or lust for tax cuts control their decision. There is nothing a Trump voter can say to me that will remove the anger I feel for their selfishness.
Voting for Trump or Jill Stein or simply not voting, was irresponsible and reckless. We are living the consequences of these decisions.
11
Why is it that republicans time and again are allowed to get away with it and leave the democrats holding the can, and to have to clean up the mess and also as the conscience of the people, especially the poor and vulnerable?
Why are they allowed to get away with so much and for so long? Isn’t their day of reckoning going to come?
6
I describe myself as a well educated working class man who votes independent, but in the last 30 years my life has been made more difficult, if not worse during times of republican control. Democrats seem to do the right thing by regularly cleaning up messes republicans leave behind, but they can't convince some Americans that they are worth voting for. Why would anyone vote to perpetuate the misery republicans subject on the country and the world? Time to vote them all out of office and keep them away from the power they always seem to abuse.
12
This is the thing.
This is why you can't put people who don't believe in the power and responsibility of government in charge of government.
Republicans are government arsonists. And now the arsonists are in charge of putting out the fire.
Starting 11/3/20, we can never let that happen again.
10
What is happening now will forever taint Trump's term just like the 2008 Great Recession. This one looks to be shaping up to be as bad or worse. Mr. "not my fault, they are worse" only cause disruption, confusion, & panic. How will that change........TODAY!
2
This pandemic has a "War of the Worlds" flavor to it. The USA has the mightiest military in the world, yet a virus threatens to bring us down.
I just hope that Trump doesn't try to use the pandemic as an excuse to postpone the election and extend his term in office.
(Can some expert explain who would authorize a delay in voting? What if only 40% of the States decided on a delay?}
3
@Dave I suspect the Supreme Court would vote 5-4 to permit Trump to move the election date to some time in 2040 for justifiable concerns of public health. Oh, as to leave the office as a heritable property. Hello President Junior!
3
Last night I had a dream I was at Trump hotel being shown to my room. The door opened to the sky and a steep drop off. What is scary is that there are people who are willingly walking into this room as if they have blinders on. We as Americans have paid for this room and have been promised protection, leadership and honesty. We are being ripped off in the worst way.
4
Crises don't build character, they reveal it.
4
There is no question that he has ordered all of his underlings to prevent testing at all costs. It's working. It's already been normalized. Any other administration that had gone this long, and told this many lies about why America is not testing would be disgraced and basically dead. Not these guys. Every day, even now, they come out and lie and say tests are on the way and they get away with it. trump will never allow testing and no one will do a thing about it. Months or years down the road, he'll say, only a handful of people died and hardly anyone ever contracted the disease, thanks to me. And, because we allow him to do anything he feels like, he'll get by with it, even if the nation is littered with corpses.
4
What did you expect out of a grifter who never wanted his "infomercial" to sell this many products and give him a job he never wanted?
He was never going to deliver a "We will fight them on the Beaches" speech.
His worldview doesn't extend beyond his mirror.
4
Perfectly stated.
One of your best columns. This is the old Paul Krugman I was so used to, especially during the Great Recession.
More.
5
I love it, Paul, when you talk straight.
Now how about some straight talk about the totally failed economic system called capitalism?
It has bee a 200 year failure for 70% of the worlds population. Every effort to move it toward complying to the Constitution which guarantees life liberty and happiness for all, has been mainly eliminated, Labor unions for example. The once fairly decent educational system which was good in spite of capitalism is a joke.
I have noticed, Paul that you seldom mention the budget for the defense department. The gluttonous owners of the weapons manufactures are getting positively obese. "The latest contract for 141 of Lockheed Martin's F-35′s will come at a price tag of $11.5 billion, the lowest in the history of the weapons program. Sep 28, 2018
The recently enacted 2019–20 California budget allocates 103.4 billion for all K–12 education programs.
So 103 billion to educate about, 6,220,413 students enrolled in California public schools for one year.
11.5 billion for 144 new airplanes. It cost $34,000 an hour to operate one. They supposedly have a 200 hour flying life span and last for 20 years.
Why do you suppose this situation exists? Could it have anything to do with the flow of money out of the People's hands and into the Owners?
What is not insane about this.
Students get better and better as they grow. Most of them contribute to the overall value of they Planet. They last anywhere from 40 to 100 years.
1
He isn’t capable of fixing this because he didn’t create this. The only crisis he has a shot at taking of are those he causes.
1
What an amazing puff piece. "Democrats are willing to do the right thing anyway", is that a joke? They propose a plan that includes extra language for loopholes that could permanently affect our economy and you decide to praise them. If they truly cared about people they would work together with Republicans to create a bill that helps Americans without trying to pass their hidden agendas and you commend them in order to push yours. You should be ashamed. So should all the politicians that play with innocent lives.
1
Just giving sick leave and supporting individuals is not enough. Do you want them to have jobs to go back to when this clears up? Businesses are in grave danger here.
1
What I don't understand is why isn't a tax increase for the rich being considered? Instead of blowing the deficit to 2 trillion and also depleting the SS and Medicare trust funds by not collecting payments doesn't it make sense to ask those well off to contribute more? The mortals likely to become unemployed by this crisis won't benefit from halting collecting SS and Medicare taxes, BECAUSE THEY WON'T BE COLLECTING SALARIES!! It seems so obvious but then again the only tool the Republicans can recognize is cutting taxes. The proposal seems to benefit the well off yet again.
Again this situation highlights our lack of universal health insurance, no paid sick leave, no paid child care (schools closing) in essence no safety net except for the oil industry and industrial farms. Sickening.
5
More evidence of trump making America great again.
2
This is soooo frustrating. He should be removed immediately. How many psychiatrists have said he is mentally ill?
Why do people expect leadership from him? He is incapable.
I blame the people around him. He should be removed by the Cabinet immediately with the 25th Amendment. His enablers are at fault. He is ill, clearly. So frustrating to watch this go on and on and on. I am amazed about what is allowed.
5
His first real crisis? What about North Korea? What about Syria attacking its own people? What about Iran and the British ship? What about the middle attacks on American troops from Iran?
You can argue whether or not trump handled these situations well or not. I think he did a good job. Others will disagree. But you can not say this flu is trumps first crisis.
2
I meant to say missile attacks.
There is a reason I’m not going to be an English teacher!!!
Not only does Trump personally need to come crashing down, but so does the entire neoliberal "truth-relativism-and-alternative-facts-fantasy" mentality that has pervaded politics and public discourse since the Reagan era. Facts matter. Science Matters. "Hard Data" needs to replace the rationale of "feeling" something in your "heart of hearts", or copping out of action with "thoughts and prayers". Our country has been in need of a renaissance in respect for science, empirical evidence and logical, data-driven reasoning and policy-making for decades. Sadly, it looks like it's going to take a pandemic costing thousands of lives to get it.
9
Thank you for your analysis; as always it is spot on. It is unfortunate that this unmasking of his myriad weaknesses, and his harmful self-absorption, occurs at the cost of REAL suffering by our brothers and sisters here and around the world. As a director of an outreach program in Suffolk County, LI, I can anticipated too well how the poor and working class will struggle in the face of this crisis.
But I do thank you for your final characterization of our current president: blowhard, indeed!
5
In 2016 a lot of people warned that Trump was utterly unfit and would not be able to handle a major disaster, explaining in detail what was required and what he lacked. Let's resurrect those quotations and put them on billboards across the country, so that the poorly-informed citizens have another chance to learn that they were right and are worth listening to. There will be no quotations from Fox or Limbaugh, of course. Maybe they'll notice that.
3
Trump strikes out when a home run is there for the taking. A homer the team needed badly to overcome the stigma of out-classing the George W. Bush Uber Hat Trick: 2 endless wars, the Great Recession, and the Drowning of a major American city.
3
I don't expect that he will suddenly become a great leader, do the right things, put the right people in charge, or change how he treats others. That is asking too much. We will get through this but many to suffer unnecessarily because the people in charge are simply not up to the task.
6
The pandemic is critical for sure, but at least it probably doesn't have the capability of wiping out all of human civilization within a very short time frame. Imagine a President Trump during the Cuban missile crisis. Then if we get through this, which most of us probably will, vote accordingly.
6
A global crisis like the Covid pandemic is an opportunity to do something historic. What better time could be available to bring all nations together to fight a common enemy? A collective response could provide the human race with the confidence to trust one another. It may be a once in a generation opportunity to sow the seeds of trust and collaboration for the common good of all humanity and perhaps lead to a way to combat climate change, another global problem. Too bad we, and other nations, lack the leadership to see the possibilities in a crisis, rather than a threat to their political control.
4
"It's somewhat of a mystery" with respect to the CDC response? No, it's not a mystery. He pulled all the funding when he became President for the CDC, for pandemic responses, and then he put Pence in charge of the outbreak instead of professionals who were assigned the position. I'm not sure why everyone is confused about the mishandling of this outbreak. For years, journalists have reported about the appointments and firings of key opinion leaders, officials and professionals within government agencies and the cabinet and yet everyone is now suddenly confused and forgetting about the very thing they reported on. We don't have scientists and funding - we have corporate lobbyists running the show and they have absolutely no training, never mind epidemiology backgrounds.
10
It’s the Test Kit, Mr. President...
Watching the Oval Office address, I mistakenly envisioned President Trump outlining, in general terms, a federal response that would include a national call for a massive production of test kits. This coupled with a distribution plan that would get the kits to as many localities as quickly as possible. Most experts agree that the science of effectively combating this virus, and slowing the spread, is through testing. The initial travel ban on China was a solid first step weeks ago but calling for a 30-day travel ban on flights from Europe now is not the answer, it’s a small band aid at best. The virus is among us. Testing is the key. South Korea is reportedly testing up several thousand citizens a day, with drive through testing available. The CDC took testing numbers off their website, maybe because they tested, reportedly, only 11,000 citizens to date. Last week, this President said anyone who wanted a test, can get a test. That isn’t possible. The test does not exist in the numbers required. This is a massive logistics problem not a time for misstatements on how well his administration is doing. Last week he described these tests as perfect and then mentioned his Ukraine phone call in the same sentence. Really? The initial response from the stock market to his address was predictable, it tanked. Mr. President: Stop the jingoism, misinformation and confusion. Job #1 is the health and safety of American citizens.
5
The actual answer is clear - a n immediate surtax on the wealthy to provide the funds necessary for free massive testing, treatment, and financial assistance for those devastatingly harmed by the virus and resulting restrictions. We are all in this boat together and those who are in the best financial position to help out must do so.
3
An important reason for the delay in testing is the "NIH" syndrome (not invented here), which is very common in all bureaucracies.
3
It matters who you hire to lead federal agencies, especially in an emergency. Trumps bragged to the effect that he would hire the "best" people. That now seems cruel.
17
we can call it “trumpslump”
8
Trump has retained his support because he expresses the animosities of his supporters and he undoes governmental services which the right believes are utterly useless because there is no profit motive. Now in order to dissuade reliance upon government the right has decided that this virus is as serious as the annual flu happens to be.
Now what happens, the coronavirus has become a pandemic and his right wing tactic of denial of reality has not made the problem go away. The economy is going to tank while it’s proceeding. The stock markets are Trump’s display of economic well being and it’s become a bear market. Unhappy days for the President.
But that’s not the real problem. Trump has proven to be a person with no leadership skills and no grasp of administering a big enterprise. Those weaknesses mean that we are not on top of this problem and preparing for the likely contingencies. Both liberal and conservative political leaders can have or lack leadership abilities, and Republicans should pay attention.
9
Let's do some deep investigation into what caused the CDC's testing debacle. We had advanced notice - the virus appeared in December and China has been on lockdown for over a month.
Trump choose to minimize the threat (and most likely preparation) putting spin over science and reality as that is all he knows.
His real estate developer salesman skills are no match for the presidency and this his first crisis lays it to bare as we have no testing, no plan.
23
Everything this man touches, he ruins. Having cruised on the Obama economy for in excess of 1130 days, he is now facing his FIRST real crises, and failing miserably; exposing fo all to see his narcissism.
34
Funny how this became trump's economy once its not doing so well because of what China has created and the media is fear mongering. They was not that much news when Obama had to face the swine flu pandemic.
Considering how the CDCs’ been gutted of funds and scientists (like the rest of the non-military federal government) under the Trump budgets, I would expect you to be the last person surprised.
If there’s an adult left in the White House, we’ll be offering free testing and treatment on demand to anyone showing symptoms, free treatment to those with active cases, anti-virals and the two classes of vaccine rapidly developable (the one blocking the virus - and if the attachment site proves unnecessary for normal life, one that latches onto it) and the harder to develop weakened or “dead” virus vaccines if they help develop human immunity; to the exposed and high-risk-of death folks, paid sick leave and a promise of a job to return to for those who test positive AND contagious - not those over the disease.
But I expect Trump to use it as an effort to cancel, or at least delay elections, blame illegal immigration and ‘folks who don’t look or sound ‘mercan’, and send National Guard tanks rolling down our streets, launching an irrelevant but deadly to our nation mandatory gene banking, and whatever else he can think of to become dictator.
7
A virus isn't somebody Trump can vilify. It's already a bad thing that doesn't respond to ad hominem attacks or any other rhetorical ninja moves.
The argument that he is to blame is simple; inadequate testing.
He can't defend this to anybody but his blind supporters.
14
With Trump and Pence’s carelessness about the virus, and Trump’s lack of understanding that the virus is far more virile then him, we might have a swearing in of President Nancy Pelosi in the coming month.
12
This meltdown is best described as the Trump Recession.
11
This sounds perverse. But I'm relieved that it is the pandemic that shows how ineffective Trump is. Compared to,say, a terrorist attack that causes more fatalities.
3
@Foosinando this will cause way more fatalities than any terrorist attack could. Just not as viscerally obvioud
2
He more than a blowhard. His stupidity and negligence will contribute to the suffering and death of Americans and continue to marginalize our leadership on the world stage. This is criminal. His maneuvers to hide the truth, his cowering behind the drapery of lies and ignorance, his cowardly mindless blubbering is an embarrassment to the office and a shameful display of complete incompetence. This entire republican clown car is killing this country. Waiting for this pinhead to be un-reelected is too far off. Prayers and preachers will not save this country, stout action will.
14
This administration classifies everything it doesn't want made public, then dares us to sue if we don't like it. Then they bleat about their transparancy! Secret servers for political activities, runarounds so the State Dept doesn't know what they're doing, firing everyone who doesn't bleat the line..... now for pandemic health bulletins also? I know trumpies can spin this, but sheesh. There is NO ONE home in this federal response, and yet the main republican goal is insisting that dearleader is once again 'perfect in every way'.
His minions are busy sneering at the entire American population except themselves for supposed panic. They don't yell the same when store shelves empty before a hurricane, and they forgot how scared their own grandparents were during poliomyelitis viral breakout in 1950. Seems like a distraction to cover the fact that they still have no idea what's going on. Too busy stroking trump's ego.
trumpies are so proud of NOT using hand sanitizer, so eager to shake hands and sneer about fearful parents who don't know what to do. My own trumpie family members post FB pics of empty shelves, howling about how THEY can't get another pkg of toilet paper because stupid panicking libs are stupid. I happen to know they all have, like 10 packages at home, totally serious. But their aim is to humiliate others, regardless of their faux Christian FB pages, the ones where they declare themselves so pious.
8
"incompetent, delusional blowhard" is true, but not an adequate description. Try "insane." Is any other explanation possible for the following?
Last week Trump told aides he’s afraid journalists will try to purposefully contract coronavirus to give it to him on Air Force One.
Trump on Tuesday shared a tweet suggesting his border wall would protect Americans from the “China virus.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/03/10/mr-president-lock-us-up/
6
@HC
His insanity is not new:
“My net worth fluctuates, and it goes up and down with the markets and with attitudes and with feelings, even my own feelings,” Donald Trump said in a 2007 deposition for a lawsuit he filed against journalist Tim O’Brien for reporting that Trump was not a billionaire. “Let me just understand that a little,” said O’Brien’s lawyer. “Your net worth goes up and down based upon your own feelings?” “Yes,” Trump said, “even my own feelings, as to where the world is, where the world is going, and that can change rapidly from day to day.”
https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2020/03/coronavirus-crisis-trump-spin-fail.html?via=taps_top
Someone explain to me...how Trump could be ahead of Biden in Iowa--please help me...at one depth to we sink---maybe Mad Max level---when the American people wake up to the reality that this reality TV personality is just that- a fake President.
9
finally..... republican policies confront reality. turns out Covid 19 doesn't;t believe in alternative facts.
9
Wow, you left out one of trump's four cardinal directions under pressure- blame everyone else but himself.
8
DJT may be right.
1
Trump has spent most of his adult life masquerading as a successful businessmanand he has spent the last 3 1/2 years masquerading as a functioning POTUS.
But now that he is confronted with a real crisis he is exposed for the fraud that he is.
He can't tweet his way around this one.
12
My guess is that the grifter in chief is off to Mara Lago for a weekend of puttering around the course.
6
He refuses to be normal
2
Trump has taken to his tanning bed and refuses to rise to the occasion.
5
We need a cut in the payroll tax and free Covid-19 care.
Sorry. Payroll tax cuts are a dumb idea that won't do anything to mitigate this crisis.
“Every one of these doctors said, ‘How do you know so much about this?’ Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for president.”
Maybe Mr. Krugman ought to heed the words of our president, and put his faith in Mr. Trump's natural ability. I'm sure it extends to economics, and to leadership in a crisis.
"You know, my uncle was a great person. He was at MIT. He taught at MIT for, I think, like a record number of years. He was a great super genius. Dr. John Trump."
Does Mr. Krugman have a great super genius in his family?
1
Does Trump?
Amendment 25, anyone one?
12
our president, the poorest man in the world.
1
The mind-set of Extremely Stable Genius 45* is further perfectly illustrated with the reported refusal to take a COVID-19 test himself, despite the photos of numerous close contacts he has had with infected persons.
This POTUS is the avatar of the "stick-my-fingers-in-my-ears so I can't hear you recite actual facts" delusional dogma.
5
Perfect!
1
Please note, this is NOT a foreign virus. Like it or not, we are all on this small blue planet together. Can you imagine ET showing up and asking “Take me to your leader” and we have to show them Trump!
6
In regard to your last paragraph, I would also add, "What we saw was a heavily medicated blowhard."
7
Ahhhh....those last three words. “Incompetent, delusional blowhard.” Music to my ears. Finally some straight talk in the Times. Now let’s see truth talk without a sugar coating in the hard news sections, please.
6
This president is endangering his own citizens' lives and FOX news, his MAGA red hat base, and his nationalistic and racsist fans still think he's great. This cult of personality is stunning. It's just amazing that not even the death of Americans will wake up Trump or his base.
He is dropping the ball on this, there is still not enough testing. Trump knew this was coming down the pike in December, and he did nothing and called it a hoax. Trumpians, can you explain to be why you are standing by your man?
4
People die everyday. Most deaths are nursing home. How many people died during the swine flu? And other pandemic. Trump can't prevent every potential death
1
You are unkind. Trump has two more tools in his box: a) Blame foreigners (esp. those he cannot bribe or bully), and b) issue travel bans.
2
no surprise
none at all in
The United State of trump
5
I'd rather have Trump than socialist Obama/Clinton/Biden
@ John Smith: Good, and I suppose you would rather have the Coronavirus as well. Happy Trails!
10
seen from over here, the Republican Party over all, seems to be a clear and present danger to all Americans.
Everything they stand for and go for and accept, is so out of touch with the real world - they do not care for society as such.
Their head of it all, is so incompetent it is unbelieveable, your country send a man to the moon - now it cannot handle a virus -
well, of course you could if you were under command of competent people - unfortunately you are not - take things in your own hands - now !
11
"... what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard."
Finally. Some language from a writer that comes close to describing this man.
7
I consider Nancy Pelosi to be our President.
4
How fitting it was that the Mandrill-In-Chief spoke at his Inauguration of "American Carnage".
Well, here it is in manifold forms - economic, medical, social, reputational.
All the American Carnage Donald Trump can shake his phone at.
6
Of course, isn’t everything his fault?
2
The southern border still has huge openings for the Virus to sneak thru. And what about our northern border? Now that the Virus has even infected the family of Mr Trudeau?
The virus is already well established here. Talking about "holes" at our borders has zero to do with managing this crisis.
I have seen a leader. Her name is Nancy Pelosi.
11
Consider this a dress rehearsal for Climate Change tipping points.
5
Trump and his collaborators are a social disease. Like corona virus, they're not fun to get.
Go check out right wing twitter.
They're saying this is a bioweapon from China.
People have gone utterly mad.
2
What's the proof of the contrary prove them wrong
@Dan
The answer to that everybody including Chinese dies.
That doesn't change the reality what we are in now.
Those people are creating more trouble, but never solution.
Chinese biologic weapon leaked out the facility, what you are going to do, punish China, HOW, With what Nuclear weapons, what Chinese have only spears.
Lunatic time wasting
"free coronavirus testing" is socialized medicine, something leading Democrats don't support.
Be nice if our Nobel prize winner would say when he is spin-doctoring.
Great article.
Treat Covid-19 info as Classified, huh. China’s not the only country with a dictatorship.
3
LOL I have never read so many posts of people that think this will end the Trump Presidency. Enjoy it people..... lol lol
In two weeks this panic will be exposed for what it is. Toilet paper will be back on the shelves at Costco,, People will bemoan the fact they don't have the storage for all they hoarded.... FACT; The democratic party will find that they can't influence the rapid panic on the Stock Market and their dream to destroy the economy to beat Trump will be right back in their face again as the Market climbs through 25OO on the Dow.
Oh AMERICA you have weathered the nuts starting back when we became a nation and I am sure you'll do it again, even when Trump is elected again.
1
People are dumb. Had it been obama taken the same actions. Democrats would have been happy. Trump would have said. This is a terrible sickness, we need to panic something of the sort. The media and Democrat would have say he's fear mongering.
Obama did say during the swine flu. Hand washing was important. The media loves it when the economy goes wrong
@Bill Sego
As more and more Trump die-hards ignore or minimize the real dangers of this pandemic....
Well, you do the math.
We are all Puerto Ricans now.
8
DJT's Katrina moment is coming for him.
3
blowhard would actually better describe krugman than trump. after the dust sets Krugman is usually incorrect, as with most all the pointy head elite writers and commentators.
Of course Caliban sees the Coronavirus pandemic as a public relations problem. He´s world-class narcissist, so everything is about him and nothing else. The problem is that the microbes don´t see it that way, they know better and they really are a lot smarter than Caliban. Unfortunately, his measureless stupidity places all of us in grave danger.
2
Check out these astounding comparative numbers (https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/covid-19-testing/) displaying worldwide country by country testing in response to the pandemic. ...A grim picture is on display telling everything we need to know about how the CDC and the Federal response is failing us:
Mar 2: UK - 13,525 completed Covid-19 tests - (199 tests per 1 million people)
Mar 2: USA - 472 completed Covid-19 tests: (1 test per 1 million people)
Mar 9: UK - 26,261 tests (387 tests per 1 million people)
Mar 9: USA - 8,554 tests (26 tests per 1 million people)
4
The first real crisis was Hurricane Maria (which he utterly failed on). Please do not erase the people of Puerto Rico.
3
"an incompetent, delusional blowhard"
So Paul, now that you've mention his good qualities, perhaps you might have something critical to say about him?
4
Amen, brother Krugman, amen.
3
Not even most Republicans will be able to stomach this loser of a human being after everything with this pandemic plays out.
This is pathetic.
1
trump is a kind of texting toxic waste dump :)
5
It is sad to watch this tragedy unfold for him. This would be his moment to be the President he wants to be. He could act, bring along (force) the Republican party he has completely pawned to do what needs to be done, and be re-elected as his reward.
Instead he will suck the Republican party into his clueless, science-less, empty void, sans data, sans principles, sans faith, sans hope, sans solutions.
I suppose this is the Divine Wind that will rescue us in November from Trump. I wish there was another translation for kamikaze.
1
So Trump takes office and says, “I got a great idea, a super idea, probably the best idea ever. Let’s get rid of that stupid government Pandemic Team, and let’s cut CDC funding. We will save a bundle. We’ll save so much that we can cut taxes on guys like me!”
Trump’s cabinet says, “My God, and we use that literally, you are a genius!”
5
In case you didn't read Krugman's opinion piece to the end: "What we saw in Wednesday’s speech was that he’s completely incapable of rising to the occasion. We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard."
2
He is just the patsy, a fall guy who covers his lackeys in the Senate and House, not to mention a donor class who know as long as he remains the front man they can go about as the upstanding citizens they are ....... not!
In an earlier comment I asked why we (the USA) did not use the World Health Organization test instead of playing around with the USA Center for Disease Control developing a MAGA test. Obvious answer is White House Trump Minions (yellow bellied cronies of White House's bronze faced "Fearless Leader") were scared to use "foreign technology" under any circumstances. Fear factor is simply: "Your Fired" per reality TV show mentality is rampant at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.
4
A fourth thing Trump knows how to do: criticize, demean and mock others. Perhaps in addition to the discovery of "novel coronavirus 2019," a new psychiatric eponym called "Trump disease" will be accepted into the DSM to describe a novel form of delusional, malignant personality disorder.
4
Thank you as always for your thoughtful commentary. It's time we stopped with the politeness and call this man what you did in the last word of your column: 'blowhard'. I relish the brutal attacks on this president because he has dished it out without consequence for too long.
1
I am getting very tired of Paul Krugman's comments. What do we learn from him? nothing!
Another manufactured media and deep state hoax. ridiculous
Thanks for that informed opinion, grounded in factual evidence.
1
Come on Paulie Mcbeardface! Politicizing this does nothing but make it worse. It is time for all of us, dems and repubs alike to support our leader and beat back this disease. Your armchair quarterbacking is cold on ice. It means nothing.
Thoughts, no doubt already posted by other commenters: an extended payroll tax cut would be bad for Social Security. From what we know of the attitudes of the Trump Administration and the Republican Party, that effect certainly was intended. If, as looks to be true, the pushback is strong enough to make that choice unpopular, their response apparently is that the payroll tax money will be repaid by taking money from elsewhere. And where would "elsewhere" be? No information so far, but surely it's going to be from various programs that Republicans don't like anyway, meaning programs that help ordinary people. But we'll "have" to cut them to save Social Security! These plans won't pass Congress, but it'll be interesting to see whether or not Donald Trump claims that he has the power to impose them anyway, either just because he supposedly does, or "in an emergency". And then it'll be interesting to see if the Supreme Court backs him up. In fact, it'll be interesting to see just how far and how blatantly Donald Trump uses the whole "emergency" concept to violate norms more than he already has.
5
The Democrats are clearly better. More planned out. They actually have people working this kind of problem and have workable proposals. Trump is just the leader of a well orchestrated brand name mov't. Clearly he is lost. But their are many capable people in the federal gov't that can put together a response. It just hasn't filtered down to Trump yet.
2
@c harris Or he just ignores it.
The Federal 'payroll tax' calculated as a percentage of an employee's wage consists of an employee contribution (6.2% Social Security, 1.45% Medicare and .9% Medicare ) and an employer contribution (6.2% Social Security and 1.45% Medicare). The employer portion is widely understood by economists to represent money that would otherwise be available for employee wages and thus the entire tax represents an employee contribution of 16.2% of wages. Incidentally, a payroll tax holiday benefits employers by allowing them to keep money that they have already subtracted in the calculation of employee wages
It may seem obvious or trivial, but referring to the taxes which fund the critical federal social insurance programs for working people as 'payroll taxes' serves the agenda of political forces which want to emphasize the connection, federal taxes on wages, while obscuring the fact that these taxes are dedicated taxes which fund the widely supported Social Security and Medicare programs.
These taxes are not trivial as Professor Krugman points out, comprising 5.9% GDP. When Donald Trump says he wants a payroll tax holiday (at least until the November election) he is attacking the funding source for Social Security and Medicare without naming them, or the obligation of the federal government to replace the taxes, and creating the impression that these taxes are arbitrary and unnecessary.
9
Why does Covfefe come back to mind ?
5
@Suburban Cowboy
Even then he knew.
Liberals using this national tragedy as a cudgel against our President is utterly disgusting. I realize they loathe the man, but can't we give it a rest for bit?
4
@Mike Not when his incompetence threatens my 66 year old life.
9
@Mike No, we can't, when thousands of lives are at stake with the spread of the corona virus.
3
This President is "utterly disgusting," and completely useless as a leader.
And a little bug shall fell him?
6
@Lynne Is this rhetorical or are you referring to the Brazilian official with the MBGA hat?
nailed it
8
"When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies."
How could Krugman forget T-word's most reliable response -- blame Obama? Which he already did about a week ago.
17
MAGA
Make
America
Germ-free
Again
5
..."an incompetent, delusional blowhard"? So harsh. All of this is displaying this administration's incapacity, in stark relief. But it is easy, and human nature, to ascribe all that's bad here to one person. Trump is the embodiment of the "will to blindly bellow", but it is his devoted followers, our fellow citizens, who put him in this position to so damage us. When all of this is over and Trumpism has been driven from public life, will we remember to then turn our attention to them and either help them to become productive citizens and rational human beings, or at least neutralize their ability to hurt us? I hope so.
10
Krugman is right on the money with this one. Liberal Trump-bashing hysterics has tuned me out, but in this case, everything he says is true.
A lack of preparation and response to this is galling, dangerous and unacceptable. It will be the downfall of his presidency, and will eventually change the course of American politics.
8
the crazy thing is that people are going to forget about this come election time. his people are still going to vote for him. that man can do no wrong in their eyes.
3
@akin We have to remember that it wasn't his people who got him elected. It was those that sat home pouting because we didn't choose bernie or one of the other third party candidates to be the Democratic nominee.
10
What Trump has been selling all along is that capitalism does not stop and cannot be stopped.
On the contrary, natural science is infinitely more powerful. A small, malevolent individual with a business degree that we have no idea of exists as grades go is no match for this.
4
When are insults not just insults? When they accurately illuminate an individual’s real and observable behavior. We are able to observe and judge behavior and willful acts.
What we cannot do, beyond mere speculation, is to accurately deduce people’s motives from their observed acts. However, we are able to judge when willful acts are, with high probability , irrational, dangerous and counterproductive.
This Mr Krugman’s has done. The Republican Party and the American people would be wise to heed his warning.
21
Has anyone heard from Mitch McConnell since the epidemic started? Or from any of the other GOP senators who so cynically voted to keep the manifestly corrupt and incompetent Donald Trump in office? Even now, when Republican lives are as much at stake as those of Democrats, they obey their chain gang boss by refusing to deal honestly with a perfectly sensible bill because it originated in the other party. It isn't just Trump who's unfit to govern, it's the whole Republican party.
16
Considering the trillions in corporate tax cuts much of which went to foreign corporations and a few billions to farmers because we are fighting china on intellectual theft, it is a huge the price tag of this presidency. Not including all the money the Russians may have spent on it. And look at what they got -- more sanctions. Inside and out, there has never been such a fake product. Someone is ripping Americans off and it is not the Chinese.
6
In my long experience I've noticed that the first meaningful step in solving a serious problem is to acknowledge that the problem exists, like the child who observed that the emperor was naked. Mr. Trump continues to deny the pandemic. Why not ? After denying global warming, can Corona be far behind ? I find it encouraging that so many of our leaders (business and local officials) have stood up to the challenge, taking Draconian steps despite the dire financial consequences to themselves. Closing the schools, Broadway, sports competitions, Wow !!! That's like slashing the Mona Lisa. No matter, true leaders have acted, maybe not always correctly, but inspirationally.
3
I forced myself to watch Trump's address two nights ago. He looked like a deer caught in head lights, speaking robotically, swaying from a self congratulatory tone and blaming foreign threats to timidly allowing the knowledge that there is indeed a virus - and often close to slurring words. About halfway through it I tried to envision myself as a Trump supporter watching this. And I came to the conclusion that even an ardent follower of his would have trouble, serious trouble, in feeling confident that this guy can actually lead us. It was as if the Emperor undressed before us in real time, revealing who he really is. Trump is beyond unfit.
12
@Rick Morris When he is forced by his advisors to speak somewhat truthfully, he reads from a monitor and in a monotone. Either he has a hard time reading or he has to read slowly to understand what he is saying, Either way the man is an idiot.
2
It is time to impeach. President Trump is incompetent. He is not capable of fulfilling his job. He needs to be replaced immediately in order o save lives. Now that Republicans lives are also at risk they may be willing to understand this simple fact.
5
@Stan Charkey I doubt a second attempt at impeachment and removal will work no matter the reason.
ttrump has, in fact, been Impeached by the House. he wasn't removed by the Senate. Remember only one repub senator--Mitt Romney--voted with the Democrats to remove. The majority of the cowardly repub senators followed mitch mcconald's order to stick with the party and acquit.
The repubs will stick with him no matter what, and, I hope voters in a state or two remember that and think before they vote durng senate races.
2
The insanity act that the leader of the free world carries on everyday is tiring at this point in time. Trump has done everything to enrich himself and his cronies and has no idea how the real world works.
Trump is an elite rich man who fooled his voters into thinking that he was something that he never was. So thank you Trump voters for not just destroying the country but ending the lives of people who were part of loving families.
10
The one true fact regarding Trump is his consistency. Given opportunities, time after time, since he started as a child, Trump has continued to place his ego above absolutely everything else. Sometimes Trump's ego piggybacked well on issues; however more often than not, Trump's ego pushed aside the core issues: he abandoned the Kurds who were the greatest positive in Syria, he negotiated with the Taliban without including the elected government of the people of Afghanistan, he has taken America in the opposite direction of the rest of the world regarding the transition from fossil fuel to alternative energy-increasing the problem, he has kept silent while his sex offender colleagues have been appointed to high office, and on and on.
Perhaps this will show that America's hubris and momentum is strong enough for the likes of the three stooges, the last disaster and is certainly large and powerful enough to heal the damage made thus far by Trump. Do we really need to continue with this tragedy for another four years?
5
Eliminating the payroll tax is the first step to eliminating Social Security and Medicare... the long term goal of the conservative monied crowd and prosperity preachers. Debtors prisons, indentured servants, slavery and mandatory bible study will then be next on the list of things President and a rural dominated Senate to do. The old saying the "South will Rise Again" is coming true. Maybe it will take another depression will change that...
9
Trump's incompetence has been exacerbated by the lack of courage among his congressional enablers. Shame on all of them.
8
Trump's incompetent speech was made worse by his appearance: he looked and sounded ill himself, with a raspy voice, labored breathing, a flat and tired delivery, and trouble concentrating. When we needed a show of strength, he was weak in every way.
11
@Umberto Yes. There was one sentence in particular that seemed to almost be able to get out. It made me wonder if he's contracted the virus.
Same with Bush. An ill-prepared president who rides the good times, but is lax about ensuring we are capable to adapt to a crisis. I think this is human nature we are seeing here. No left vs right nonsense, just humans being humans. Can the great experiment of Democracy ensure future folly will be avoided? I guess time will tell.
4
Trump doesn't even want to get tested after repeated contact with confirmed infected individuals, including world leaders. This pandemic is the great equalizer; the powerful and wealthy are not immune. But the autocratic and arrogant leanings of this subset of the population may in fact make them even more vulnerable as they continue to ineptly put the general population at greater risk.
5
This is the classic instance of an ignorant person (Donald Trump) being given great responsibility and power and frittering it away in an emergency because he has purged all of those in the "deep state" or otherwise who have sought to offer good counsel.
After three years of purging, we are now burdened with a bureaucracy that has learned through bitter experience to keep its mouth shut. The problem, however, is that their short-term self-preservation in the face of a serious crisis, the global pandemic, translates into deepened levels of long-term death and destruction.
It is time for the people to rise up and take matters into their own hands. We need to achieve real one-person, one vote status with the elimination of the electoral college and we need to devote serious resources to the improved political education of the voting public. We also need to eliminate the funding of political campaigns by corporations and other vested interests.
Any system that leads to the occupation of the oval office by a fool like Donald Trump is seriously broken. We need term limits for judges and office-holders and more active citizen participation in government. Short of serious change directed at implementing real participatory democracy, you get what you get - a continuous moving train wreck, unbelievable corruption, and crises that threaten the survival of humanity. We are now near the breaking point. In another two months or so we'll be there and few saw it coming.
8
Trump has always shown incompetence - he has always given a false narrative instead of taking real action to fix real problems (there were no real problems that made tax cuts or deregulation necessary). But since 2016 the media have been talking mostly about events that do not directly affect the general population - Russian election interference, Ukrainegate, Trump's personal scandals, the conflict with Iran. Viewers of Trump's speeches and Fox News could believe what they were told without any immediate effect on their own lives. The proposed kill-off of Obamacare would have had an effect on many and this was probably reflected in the 2018 election. As people's relatives and friends contract the coronavirus and the economy contracts the danger of Trump's incompetence should be more evident.
4
Let’s not blame everything on Trump just because his staggering incompetence makes it easy. This is in the making since 1980 when government was declared the problem by the Republicans.
The current crisis is just another symptom that hopefully will reverse that stupidity.
9
@sapere aude You're right but at least Reagan realized many of his proposal weren't working and reversed them, especially tax policies. On the other hand, his attack on the Air Traffic Controllers started a movement away form supporting the middle and working class as well as those on Government support in favor of the rich. The middle class has been shrinking ever since and the working class is now the working poor.
Ironically, many of those affected negatively are Trump supporters. Dems need to reclaim those votes by policies that work for the 99%. Bernie or Biden, we need to fix this.
3
Yes, tax cuts is the hammer that makes all problems look like nails to Republicans.
8
Why are we letting Sean Hannity run our country? Trump has no ideas of his own, only those he hears on Fox News. He doesn’t read. He ignores the advice of experts. It’s not a case of Fox following Trump. Fox leads and Trump parrots.
12
There are extremely wealthy people like those around the Trump administration who hold the view that this is all overblown; that Obama did worse in a potential pandemic he faced; that those of us who take this seriously have drunk the poison of fake media, and that the President is doing great. When it is all over, they will still be rich; their healthcare will protect them; but many, many of their fellow citizens will be suffering.
4
Who didn't know that Donald Trump was ignorant,immature, immoral, incompetent,inexperienced, intemperate and insecure?
Trump didn't run a covert stealthy subtle campaign for President of the United States.
Trump hasn't governed as a covert stealthy subtle President of the United States.
Trump can't be blamed on divine royal sanction selection nor an armed uniformed military coup.
Trump is a symptom of the current partisan political state of our divided limited different power constitutional republic of united states.
Coronavirus doesn't discriminate based upon gender, color aka race,ethnicity, national origin, faith, education, economics nor politics. Coronavirus does seem to discriminate against seniors and those with chronic underlying health conditions.
4
To paraphrase, somewhat, "The Jawbone of an incompetent" has struck. What's worse, those smitten in one sense will remain smitten in another.
1
In my imaginings of worst-case scenarios, both Trump and Pence succumb to coronavirus after first-person contact and a refusal to be tested. Pelosi steps up as President. Did I say worst-case?
2
This is truly the national tragedy.
We have the utterly incompetent President and equally inadequate free press accusing each other for the coronavirus pandemic.
None of them is capable of recognizing the irony that both sides use the completely wrong logic.
That's why we are incapable of solving any chronic problem.
The President and the free press take credit for everything good while blaming somebody else for anything bad.
The truly smart people now that we are directly responsible for the successes and the failures.
If you have nothing to do with the defeats you can't take credit for victory either because both of them are the direct consequences of our actions and deeds.
@Kenan Porobic The free-press reports the news good or bad. It doesn't take sides.
It also has OPINION columnists like Mr. Krugman and others who give us their own OPINIONS on various issues.
@Norma
You believe that the free press reports the facts.
Selection of the news is an opinion.
That opinion determines your opinion too...
@Norma
Selection of Krugman as a columnist is a part of agenda too. The same is valid for FOX News...
And on another note, is there anyone that seriously believes that Trump and Pence were not tested for the virus? Of course they were, but admitting it would mean that the virus is really a threat. Besides, they lie about everything. Why should we believe that they were not tested. It is far more likely that the opposite of what they say is true.
5
It's long past the time to invoke the 25th Amendment.
14
However, "his first real crisis" was and is climate change - which is the number one existential crisis civilization faces. Imagine if the world had responded to climate change with the seriousness and urgency this horrible pandemic has produced!
1
Trump has been able to lie his way through his presidency because most of what he whines about affects just a few scattered groups. All his "crisis" (border, immigrants, coal, steel, tarffs, Iran, etc) have been manufactured to gin up support from one group or another, each of which does not mind being lied to as long as they are getting something out of it.
Now he faces a real crisis and it turns out that lying won't work when talking to the entirety of America (though the ultra right wing entertainers are certainly trying to keep the lies going). All the rest of us see right through his lies and so we have just started ignoring his whines and rants.
Best case is that his underlings just start ignoring him as well and just do the right thing. Cut out all the ignorant political appointees and get the actual experts on the job and in front of the American People. Bypassing the Trump political establishment is the best we can hope for.
4
Let us be clear, Trump's and Republican's behavior is and will be responsible for many otherwise preventable deaths. This amounts to political murder or our own citizens, for and by Republicans.
4
Trump has just got to be the thickest headed individual ever to serve as our nation's president. He simply cannot get it into his skull that the American people don't need a leader who is an expert in all aspects of science, economics, trade, etc. That individual simply doesn't exist. But what people do want is a leader who is smart enough to hire the required experts and listen to them. Alas, Trump is such a narcissist that he will never attain the level of greatness he imagines himself to be.
3
Normal people know the extent of their knowledge and acknowledge they are ignorant about various things. They then learn from knowledgeable people when necessary.
Trump, on the other hand, is so ignorant he does not know he is ignorant. But he actually believes he knows more about everything than anyone. The fact he is completely ignorant but makes decisions believing he knows everything and has all the "best" solutions, and is actually "the President" makes him the most dangerous person in the country right now. He is utterly clueless about what is happening and what to do about it.
In the interests of national security and safety his underlings should just start ignoring him and just do the right thing. Let Trump tweet his heart out. But don't report on his tweets. Ignore everything he says. Do not ever let him on TV or radio. Basically he needs to be quarantined from America.
I suppose his ultra right wing entertainer cronies will still give him a platform, but only his ultra right wing fanboys will listen to him, so, no loss there. Everyone else should just ignore him.
2
He subpoenaed the truth with regard to his abuse of power and bribery, now he is going to prevent the truth about coronavirus by classifying the information. "What you don't know won't hurt me" is his motto. But it has without a doubt hurt democracy, our standing in the world as a leader other countries can look up to, the vulnerable, and now our collective health. This man has no power without the complicity of the Republican party and Americans who would rather see nor hear any criticism about this demagogue, although their mouth wags constantly about his so-call brilliance. Well in Spanish the word "corona" means crown. It shines with a deadly virus and Donald Trump is wearing it.
3
Very poor job of presenting what Trump actually said. If you really, really read his complete statement he was expressing the FACT that the denominator in the equation is not known. No one knows how many people are infected, so he may be correct (and you will have a terrible time swallowing that pill) that the death rate percentage is too high.
If that rate is eventually made correct, and it is lowered, I would hope you will swallow the pill and correct yourself. Too bad you emotions against Trump are so pronounced.
And, I did not and will never vote for him.
"No one knows how many people are affected" because this incompetent Administration has completely failed to institute an effective testing regimen, and level with the American people about the danger that represents.
1
Trump gave the worst political speech I have ever heard, and after it I have zero confidence in the government. He must have written the speech himself. Terrible

The good news is that states and companies and associations are acting. If Trump would just go take a six month nap maybe we can still get through this. Embarrassing
4
There may be enough time for the worst of the virus to pass and trumputin will claim victory and how he saved us. That and the pay roll tax reduction and his followers will fall in line.
1
People made fun of Jimmy Carter when he donned a cardigan sweater and sat in front of a fireplace during the energy crisis. People rightly suggested that George W. Bush was deceptively disingenuous or, more likely, just naive when he crowed in front of a sign that proclaimed, "Mission Accomplished!" People chuckled, or not, when Bill Clinton pointed his finger and stated that "I did not have sexual relations with that woman...." when, in fact, he did. And people tolerated Ronald Reagan when he claimed that he would never trade arms for hostages.
With Donald Trump and the coronavirus, however, no one is laughing as he spins, dissembles, and points fingers at everyone but himself and his administration. What people are is afraid, not just of the virus itself, which is eminently understandable, but of Trump's self-congratulatory misrepresentation of facts and his abject incompetence and even unwillingness to do what is right in battling one of the greatest threats to American national security that this country has ever faced.
Trump's approach is purely economic, not provide medical help to individuals who need it the most. He is a one-trick pony who relies on cutting taxes and subsidizing wealthy industries while individuals with little to no resources scramble to do whatever they can to avoid illness, or possible death.
The devil doesn't wear Prada. He wears orange hair, custom suits and needlessly long neckties, and plays golf while people die.
4
The CDC failed its response because Trump cut its budget.
7
It is now abundantly clear that POTUS has command of a very limited range of possible human responses to situations of any kind.
Basically this range is circumscribed by the characters permitted in a Tweet, or perhaps a degrading nickname blurted out in an uncontrolled fit of pique.
That's it. There's nothing more complex in the president's social repertoire. That's why Treasury Secretary Mnuchin is now negotiating the salvation of the US economy rather than the president himself. Meanwhile the Senate sits on its hands.
If we elect clowns to represent us, it should not surprise us to be living in a circus.
4
Krugman's wrong- the 3 things Trump knows how to do are actually 4- you left out travel bans.
2
Republicans and Trump are only full of nonsensical solutions that will cost this country both financially and in human lives. Payroll tax cuts don't work if someone looses a paycheck, because he/she has been coronavirus downsized. Republican always seem to be against logical solutions, like expanding healthcare. Trump the bloviator and chief only wants praise that he is doing a perfect job, like his phone call to the president to Ukraine, which he mentioned during his visit to the CDC.
3
Mr. Krugman - more power to you and the vast majority of NYTimes readers. Ditto the tax payers of NY, CT, MA, NJ, CA etc. who put on a welfare feed for the Mitch McConnell Kentucky's, MS, AL, SC etc. that keep electing Republicans who are doing their best to ruin America. I don't think I can live here much longer if they maintain control.
3
And let's not forget that cutting the payroll tax de-funds Social Security. It's all about drowning it in the bathtub. These vultures never give up trying to destroy the New Deal and the Great Society. Just let them die in the street. Virus? No health care? Dead broke? More for me!!! This has to stop.
2
“First real crisis,” that depends on how you define crisis. Many Americans might argue that USA has been in a constant, oppressive state of crisis ever since Trump was elected.
1
@Grunchy trump was not elected. he was appointed by the out-dated electoral college. The majority of us voted for the intelligent woman.
2
There is no substantial difference between the Republicans and the Democrats.
Both sides behave identicaly.
They take all the credit for any success while blaming the others side for all the problems.
It is extremely infantile behavior.
Fear to accept responsibility for the problems is the ultimate sign of immaturity.
1
I expect Trump to declare that because Democrats have caused a panic which will frighten people away from the polls, he has no choice but to suspend the November election.
5
Agreed with everything in this article.
Why is there no murmur of the 25th amendment? If we need an example of incompetence, this article is a blueprint.
2
In almost any competent administration there would be competent heads in the CDC or NIH, competent enough to have seen the writing on the wall with the first cases. Competent enough to do something long before it would be a problem here, not to protect just us but to think of the whole world. This is what competent caring medical professionals do. This is what a leading Nation would do. Instead we have an Emperor who struts around naked thinking no one would dare say anything. This Emperor is surrounded by lackeys who are also naked having thrown their clothes on the bonfire of adulation to a conman who doesn't have a clue as to what to do.
3
Trump said in 2014 that a President should resign if the DJIA drops 2000 points in a day.
Okaaayyy Mr. President, we're waiting.
9
Well if the media was not always negative the economy would be better and its trump who wants to bring back factory jobs back to the United states. The United States is affected because the world is facing a crisis
Dr. Krugman, as I recall, was one of the few who knew the timing of the housing market collapse in 2007 that led to the global financial collapse in 2008. Even now, most economists are talking about the "possibility" of recession. I'm hearing people in residential real estate talk about how great the housing market is doing because of low mortgage rates. That's like saying "the aft end of the Titanic has never been this high above water!" Forget it! It's over! The ship is sinking!
"Everybody knows that the boat is leaking
Everybody knows that the captain lied
That's how it goes
Everybody knows." _Leonard Cohen
2
Please drop Trump's stupid, self-serving pitch for a payroll tax cut, which is helicopter money. A sledge hammer doesn't solve this problem which requires a screwdriver. Witch doctor Navarro has charmed Trump into stealing from the Social Security funds to pay for his re-election. Talk about brazenly buying votes at taxpayer and retirees’ expense! No way. It’s a reincarnation of the playbook from their stupid tariff-offset farm relief programs. If the Senate GOP rams this through on their side, the House Dems need to attach a pay-for, to protect Social Security and Medicare trust funds from this political scam. To stop this raid on retirees’ trust funds, the House majority needs to attach a Millionaire surtax of 5% or 10% on 2020 adjusted gross income over $500K as required by bipartisan budget rules, to fund a payroll tax cut. That's a real pay-for, which is fiscally responsible. Let the rich pay for the Trump/Navarro election -year handouts, not future retirees.
3
Not to worry, Paul. Joe Biden just announced his coronavirus policy (he was late for the announcement -- no doubt he was getting in his power nap). And guess what? Joe's medical proposals are virtually identical to Trump's. And he's in favor of open borders, so that the people in other countries can avail themselves of the inadequate hospital bed supply we have here. Sounds like the Dems' "solution" is to jump from the frying pan into the fire.
1
At this difficult moment I want to see first the good side of what is going on. I start with the fact that local and state authorities can take the right mesures. In my county they have started them immediately:
"For Immediate Release: Monday, March 9, 2020
Montgomery County Executive Marc Elrich and County Council President Sidney Katz made the following joint statement after Governor Hogan signed authorization for special State funding to address the COVID-19 virus:
Governor Larry Hogan today signed legislation previously approved by the Maryland General Assembly authorizing him to transfer resources from the State’s Rainy Day Fund to address the COVID-19 virus. We want to thank Governor Hogan, Senate President Bill Ferguson, Speaker Adrienne Jones and members of the General Assembly for quickly taking the necessary steps, and providing the funding, that will allow local governments to inform residents on how to reduce their risk of exposure, to test residents who think they may be infected and to treat those who do test positive."
The difference between taking these measures now, later or not taking them at all can be estimated in another neighbor article of the NYT ( How Much Worse the Coronavirus Could Get, in Charts By Nicholas Kristof and Stuart A. Thompson). If they are taken, the total number of fatalities due to Coronavirus in th US would be around 300.000. while if they are delayed or not undertaken at all the figure would reach 1 million or more.
2
We've had two major health care crises in the last three years:
1. Trump
2. Coronavirus
2
You know what’s remarkable about the current news, but nobody seems to be taking about it? How is Russia handling this crisis, and how many infected do they have? Why is there an information vacuum regarding Russia, and how does the spread of this virus benefit their plan to use Trump to destroy our country?
4
It’s not just Trump. The pathetic response to this crisis is a result of one political party’s attitude toward government. 
3
If the administration is purposely trying to hold down the number of coronavirus cases by dragging their feet on testing I hope there is a whistleblower who will let us know.
2
We have had a microbe problem for the best part of the last hundred years. This is only one more in a string of their failures time has now caught up with. But hey, if blaming Trump makes people feel better, it's your football.
So, you're saying leaders aren't responsible for leading? Thanks for the update.
The problem with the NYT's coverage of the Stable Genius' failings is it does NOT reach his base. "The Base" continue to live MAGA's bubble are not literate enough to understand more than a monosyllabic word. From what I have observed, their reading level is not much above a third-grader.
The Times and other media outlets need to find ways to reach the base and make them understand that the "Fake News" they so proudly advocate has in fact been spun by the master of Fake News himself, their Stable Genius.
Perhaps a simple version of The Emperor's New Clothes might resonate?
1
I would proffer its time to 25th the 45th.
2
Also, do not forget that Hurricane Maria affected Puerto Rico, a place that Trump voters and Trump himself do not consider a part of the USA, but rather "other", like Haiti. So Trump lucked out there also.
3
No doubt Trump refused the WHO tests so the CDC could drag their feet developing a new one. They were gambling that if they could stall until April and keep the numbers low the “flu” would just vanish with the snow.
1
There is only one slender possible silver lining in this. Surely, with Trump's incompetence laid bare, the American people will vote him and his Republican lackeys out in November.
3
Amen, brother Krugman! The preceding intended earnestly and sincerely.
1
If trump was preventing testing to suppress the numbers made public, he is a mass murderer.
4
Trump filed for bankruptcy SIX times. His handling of this current crisis is just another example of his 'business acumen'.
The speech, according to reporting in the Washington Post, was written by Kushner and Miller. No wonder it had the gravitas of a thirteen year old.
I am in complete agreement with your last sentence.
3
As for keeping coronavirus-related deliberations classified: Everyone knows computers have viruses -- and obviously their loyalty is going to be to their fellow virus, COVID-19. And when someone's got a virus, don't they often say, "Oh, I came down with some bug" -- and likewise, bugs are meant for eavesdropping. No wonder POTUS wants to keep the conversations hush-hush. You've got to admit, the President is pretty good at this stuff -- he's a natural.
If Trump had been President on Dec. 7, 1941, he would have responded to the Pearl Harbor attack with a tax cut.
2
You sound jubilant, Paul.
Looking at it from abroad, it really looks like Democrats would welcome the bubonic plague as a blessing, as long as it weakens Trump.
Divided you fall.
2
Sorry Dan, expecting leaders to actually lead (and acknowledging when they fail) is what responsible citizens do. This Administration has to own it's failures.
1
It's Sunday-morning quiet outside. I live a couple of houses down from a busy street...no traffic. Only occasional jet noise above.
Church has been canceled. Two of my clients—one who is 93 and coughing, and one who is having difficulty with her recent kidney transplant—had to postpone public speaking events this week. My trip to Germany to mark the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Dachau has been postponed because the ceremonies were canceled.
And I'm doing the best I can do having been given no guidance from national, state, or local leaders.
I knew Trump would be bad on a number of levels. But this level of incompetence rises to criminal.
2
Paul Krugman utterly fails to predict the end of the world. Again.
The CDC is going to pay for the testing for Coronavirus all over the country. We have closed flights and restricted movement of people with this thing. Markets are rebounding.
Yet Paul still shows up at Times Square with his 'The World is Ending ... someday ... maybe .... or not', sign like every single day.
We will emerge from this , the markets are rebounding and soon we'll be talking about the next calamity, this one far behind.
And Paul K will still show up to Times Square to chant his song.
Just, yea. We did not end yesterday, we rebound today. And that is that. Get over it Paul.
Gee, it's great that the CDC is going to "pay for" non-existent tests that aren't actually happening.
2
Paul Krugman's excellent expose accurately characterizes the abysmal conduct of the Vietnam War draft dodger to effectively lead America at a time of crisis. No F.D.R. by a long shot! Wednesday night the nation witnesses yet another horrible display of self aggrandizement, self flattery, and self centered myopia. The died in wool MAWA supporters, glued to their televisions, no doubt believed every bit of the swill dished out by their Chosen One, and are fiercely committed to stay the course on board the Titanic. The inept, rambling, disjointed, incoherent speech, if you can call it that, resorted to the usual themes of Republican grandstanding: engender xenophobia through the foreign virus label, cast blame upon the liberal media (and the Democrats) for generating a hoax and over blowing the pernicious threat corona virus pandemic, and presenting confusing and inconsistent views at odds with competent, experienced, medical experts whose reasoning and recommendations are summarily jettisoned as part of some paranoiac deep state plot. The Vietnam War draft dodger is committed to maintaining an image of Caucasian privilege of authoritarianism to convince America, and the world, that he knows what is best for others, especially black and brown complexioned individuals, and they should listen to him because of his so called intelligence, which is obviously warped and shallow. The actions portray racial superiority as well as incite racial hysteria.The GOP agree. Race matters.
2
Will Republicans rethink all the things they’ve wanted and Ignore science and facts and just reward a small group of capitalists interests? I think not. They only care about themselves and the short term economy.
Republicans - “love got mine. too bad about you. I’m not sharing”
Democrats - “we’re all in this together, let’s address the problems”
But this is a dress rehearsal for climate change problems. They won’t have a 3-6 month virus cycle.
2
I really think that the author should consider whether he is really adding anything of worth to the debate(s), or whether he is simply, wrongly, exploiting this crisis for political purposes.
All you need to know about Trump is that during a national health crisis, and a global pandemic with many deaths, his first focus is on the U.S. economy, and blaming the 'filthy immigrants'. In other words, he's doing what he thinks will get him re-elected. Compassion and empathy are on permanent holiday.
1
You say about President Trump, "When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies. You forgot one: seal our borders.
It's very possible that hundreds of thousands of American will die who didn't have to and trillions of dollars in wealth will evaporate because of Trump's complete incompetence.
It is impossible to believe even the dullest minds among us can't see this.
2
It was refreshing to see the two Democratic Presidential candidates look FAR MORE presidential than our liar-in-chief, president Bone Spurs.
Hopefully, we can survive another 9 months of Trump. Maybe we can if he spends all his time golfing. I, for one, am all for that solution.
2
"When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies."
What about the fourth thing, Professor Krugman: blame someone -- other than himself? Blame Obama. Blame Pelosi. Blame the "Deep State". Blame the Democrats generally. Blame Jeff Sessions. Blame federal judges. Blame NATO. Blame Rex Tillerson. Blame General Motors. Blame Joe Biden. Blame Americans for not getting tested for the Coronavirus (even though test kits are few and far between). Blame the media. Blame Jerome Powell and The Fed. Blame immigrants. Blame Mitt Romney. Blame the Whistleblower. Blame California. Blame the Kurds. Blame Comey and the FBI. Blame the CIA. Blame the Generals. Blame most of the people he's hired to work for his administration.
Oh, but never, ever, blame Russia, even for little things like trying to manipulate our elections.
3
Thank you, Dr. Krugman, succinct and true. I for one, blame everyone who voted for this incompetent, incoherent, narcissist! Trump is only concerned about Trump. So, sure he doesn’t care, he only wants to keep “the numbers low” and protect his re-election. Trump is a disaster. Republicans, YOU own this!
2
It is time to step up. The billionaires can fund through the Social Security System a 1 million dollar check for every person in the country and abroad....including the children being murdered in cages at the southern border.
These wealthy would not even notice the financial contribution. The population would then experience the freedom of food and shelter and the absence of abject poverty.
Simple.....generosity, forgiveness, kindness, compassion, and Altruism.
1
Trumps recent oval office address, almost choking on his words, was the picture of a man coming to the realization that his magical mystery ride is coming to an end.
1
Between Fox News and the rest of the right wing media's distortion and flat out lying, people in Trump country won't believe reality until they start getting sick.
4
Listening to Fox praise Trump's actions as "brave", I wonder how it's viewers will react when their loved ones die? Despite Trump's corrupt immaturity in handling this global pandemic, Senate GOP and right-wing media are complict in their silence about the FACTS.
2
Trump will not only try to help himself politically. He will try to help himself financially. He has already announced bailout plans for the oil-and-gas gamblers who have lost their shirts and, he made reference to "other affected industries." Foremost on his mind will be his own hotels and resorts. Taxpayers will be on the hook for millions of dollars to keep Mar-a-Lago, Bedminster and the Trump Hotel in Washington in the black.
2
God is a microbe
1
Lots of people blaming Trump (when the CDC has basically acted as it has with all of the other past pandemics, such as H1N1). If we had the European systems that so many Democrats long for, we would be much worse off. Europe is now the center of the crisis, according to the WHO.
Media didn't even cover Swine flu in 2009 since they liked President Obama. Now everything is politicized to make Trump look worse than is necessary. This will ultimately back-fire, just like Mueller Report and Impeachment when the dire predictions made daily by the press don't come to pass.
https://www.cnbc.com/2020/03/13/europe-is-now-the-epicenter-of-the-coronavirus-pandemic-who-says.html
What "European systems" are you referring to?
When a king cares more /
About saving face than facts /
The people suffer.
1
Trump's behavior reminds me of the man who, in turn, said he returned a borrowed pot in perfect condition, that the pot was broken when he first borrowed it, and he never borrowed the pot in the first place.
What worries me is that there are many people who seem to agree with him on all three points.
1
There are two contemporary and intertwined pandemics caused by the coronavirus and brainvirus.
The first one attacks the lungs and results in high fever. The latter attacks the heads and makes the people come up with the wrong conclusions.
If our health care system was completely unprepared to confront the coronavirus pandemics and conduct enough testing, you don’t blame the White House incumbent for the structural deficiencies but the entire health care system and its unpreparedness.
If that were the case, we don’t have the superb health care but the inferior one in comparison to the other countries.
If our health care system is failing us, then we have to blame the lifelong politicians for it - like Nancy Pelosi, Mitch McConnel and Joe Biden…
We should promote the leaders who advised us about the imperfections of the current system.
Who was the only one to do that?
Bernie Sanders…
"Notice, by the way, that these measures would help the economy in an election year, and therefore arguably help Trump politically. But Democrats are willing to do the right thing anyway — a stark contrast to the behavior of Republicans after the 2008 financial crisis, when they offered scorched-earth opposition to anything that might mitigate the damage."
This, right here, explains everything you need to know about how Democrats are just better people than Republicans.
4
I'm not a fan of the payroll tax cut, but to say it only helps well-paid workers is disingenuous at best. It is the most regressive tax we have, and "bigly" benefits the lower half of wage earners. I do favor assistance to small businesses to be able to afford sick leave. These businesses are getting crushed already and can't afford to lose staff for any extended period of time. It sounds like the Dem bill puts all the costs on the employers, which I do not favor. Is this true?
A payroll tax deduction helps your employer. Payroll taxes are paid by the employer in addition to your contributions to federal withholding and SS/med. Do you honestly think the same boss who hires undocumented immigrants to save a buck is going to pass a tax deduction to you?
2
It is obvious that we no longer have a competent government. states will have to defend against this C-19.
3
Maybe more meaningful to compare the ratio of Tests Administered VS. Tests came back positive.
2
I think it's important to note any time a Payroll Tax cut is discussed that this tax funds Social Security and Medicare and so people misunderstand it as a tax cut and not a defunding of SS.
Also, I agree that in some way the most devastating thing about this situation is the realization of how enormously we and the world are missing the wise reassuring leadership of the US and that the Editorial Board (in recommending he declare a National Emergency) is engaged in delusional thinking to imagine this president is capable of being anything other than selfish, petty, impulsive, poorly informed, and completely unable to put the needs of the US people before his own.
15
DJT has led a charmed life in that he has successfully implemented a simple strategy: DENY DEFLECT ATTACK NEVER BACKTRACK. He and his supporter/enablers are continuing this strategy on every platform they can manage (see this morning's appearance on Fox by "reverend" Falwell Jr and "senator" Cotton.)
It remains to be seen whether the public will swallow this latest fantasy or finally deliver the comeuppance he so richly deserves.
6
If Trump were the CEO of almost any major corporation, he would have been fired by its board long ago.
12
A responsible board would never hire him in the first place.
4
Since half of this daily coronavirus story is about the stock market, the epicenter of capitalism in America, I'd like to know what the titans of Wall Street are doing to protect and save lives. Quality of life -- and survival of life -- should be the bottom-line measure of any economic system, right?
At this moment, it seems there is a shortage of testing kits and maybe even laboratory capacity to process the tests quickly. We hear there may not be enough respirators or hospital beds for the critically ill.
Are the companies that make the test kits increasing their production in 'round-the-clock emergency mode? Are transportation companies standing by to distribute them rapidly across the country? Do they have the capital they need to do that? Same question for medical equipment companies that make the respirators and other critical supplies.
Are the rich, for-profit hospital giants like Hospital Corporation of America building emergency infrastructure and staffing to handle a spike in cases appearing at their doors? What about those very expensive and profitable nursing home and assisted living chains where the most vulnerable are quartered and many have died?
The media spotlight is on governments right now. At the same time a presidential campaign is sowing fear about "socialism" and claiming the superiority of capitalism. isn't it fair to ask for some proof of that claim when so many lives, jobs and homes are on the line?
7
I am in ideological alignment with Paul Krugman but I am WAY tired of privileged people calling COVID POTUS Trump's FIRST crisis.
Hurricane Maria in Puerto Rico was POTUS Trump's FIRST crisis and he failed miserably. I personally feel it is because Puerto Rico is filled with Latinos and hardly any whites that Hurricane Maria isn't constantly referred to as a failure by the Trump Admin. After POTUS Trump threw out rolls of paper towels like he was actually doing something helpful, how surprised can anyone be by POTUS Trump's response to Coronavirus?
9
A millions Americans may die because of egregious (immoral) handling of this pandemic, right from day one of office, in gutting CDC disease control capabilities. Let the voters ponder the depth of their depravity.
6
@PT
But, first the voters must know and understand what happen to the CDC, the response to the illness and the Down Playing of what was / may happen and why.
With a lot of the "information" being offered, 35+ % of voters are being told and they believe it, that POTUS is doing a great / perfect job, there is little risk, it's all Obama's fault and it is all a hoax anyway.
1
Surfing over to Fox News, here’s the only really relevant headline,
“Trump tweets out series of tips on how to avoid coronavirus.”
Yeah, sure...you really think this guy has anything useful to keep you safe? Why not let the epidemiologists speak for themselves?
That’s the difference and distinction between real leadership and posturing: Put the people who know what they’re doing in front of the camera (or on Twitter, or whatever) when the chips are down—like now. That this never occurs to Dear Leader is all you need to know about whether to trust this administration or not.
5
Reality has finally caught up to Donald Trump, the mendacious ignoramus, who occupies the Oval l office.The failure of the Trump administration to accept testing kits from the WHO in January is becoming a medical war crime. His serial lying about and insidious attempt to play down the threat of the Corona virus is absolutely despicable.His ludicrous performance Wednesday night, when he couldn't even get the facts in a prepared ,teleprompter , speech right was a perfect metaphor for the manifest failure of his presidency.
11
"Nobody knew [Fill in the Blank] could be so complicated."
- Donald Trump
4
Donald is now showing, to anyone willing to look at what is right in front of their eyes, that he really doesn't care if Americans die due to his own utter incompetence and inability to do his job. Think of it, a man who lets people die so that he can still go on primping himself in front of the mirror and telling himself he is President. I wonder what he'll say when pickets in front of the White Houses start waving signs calling him a killer of Americans?
8
Unfortunately donald doesn't get all the blame- throw some to McConnell and republicans..... all complicit.
12
Krugman left one thing when he wrote, "there are only three things he knows how to do." Should add travel bans.
4
@Malcolm Yup, he's replaying his greatest hits from 3 years ago.
Will a deadly pandemic be enough to pry the minds of millions of duped Americans off the propaganda channel and lead them to think critically about their choices?
I have a coronavirus prayer card for sale.
3
We haven't hit rock bottom yet. At least the President hasn't said "If you have to sneeze, sneeze on a Democrat."
1
Trump and Pence must be tested. Are they spreading the virus? I think they need to both resign. Let Pelosi run things until Biden is elected!
4
“When bad things happen, there are only three things he knows how to do: insist that things are great and his policies are perfect, cut taxes, and throw money at his cronies.”
Paul, you forgot one: “Blame someone else,” preferably Barack Obama. There, fixed it for you.
6
An incompetent blowhard who is endangering thousands of people in the U.S. and causing the meltdown of the financial system which will result in a serious recession. He's a criminal.
7
Disney World just closed. That says it all.
2
@Mixilplix
Yes, it does!
Money talks and that (all Disney attractions) (along with the closing of Sports, Concerts etc.) is some really big money telling everyone "We Have a Huge Problem Mission Control!"
And it seems Mission Control is / and has been standing there with fingers in their ears singing LaLaLaLaLaLa...
1
The thought that this depraved monster wants to cut payroll taxes, i.e., social security’s funding source, i.e., half goes to corporate coffers, the other half goes to salaried people so they can juice the economy buying consumer goods to make up for their missed ball game or concert,
Makes. Me. Sick.
4
Now this oped actually fits the definition of PERFECT! The emperor truly has no clothes...
3
Trump's greatest fear is losing the election and ending up in jail. The so called Trump Organization will be disassembled brick by brick as a criminal enterprise. All of his nasty secrets, grifts, and illegalities since he's been in office will come to light and be prosecuted by an honest justice department under President Biden. He is grotesque, incompetent, and the greatest liar in the history of the world. Remember, for him it's always about the con.
6
Paul firstly Trump thinks the “virus” is a foreign visa bearing creature. Like he and his followers shouted build the wall build the wall, trump thinks he can stop the foreign virus alien creature by “stay calm everyone, it will go away, my gut says as it gets warmer it will die down” until yesterday Trump was brandishing the economy as his weapon, his republican subservient followers quivering with fear over his bullying, shaking hands at CPAC with domestic virus carriers (no they were not foreign aliens but most likely white Christian men). Today Trump will find out this virus does not need a visa. It infects celebrities republicans politicians country heads and wives, not discriminating any race or nationality.
His weapon the economy won’t work for him anymore. His age is not in his favor. What is he going to do? He can keep tweeting nonsense to his hearts content. Spreading misinformation. It is time we shut down Twitter it is the responsible thing to do, to shut up an irresponsible President. Without his mouthpiece, Trump won’t be able to bully his 66 million twitter followers.
4
Stock Market Tanks, Economic Genius Krugman Vindicated.
1
Trump is totally failing and sinking fast. He doesn’t have a clue what to do. It’s written all over his face and actions.
His lies, his bluster and his unhinged megalomania has shown all of us what a complete, unknowing, uncaring fool he is.
If he had any decency whatsoever, he’d resign and go away. But he won’t because he’s too stupid to realize what an unmitigated failure and joke he is. He thinks he’s right.
What a pitiful little man he is.
People are dying as he pontificates, lies and blows off his uninformed, ignorant mouth again and again.
Just go away, Donald. Please.
4
Trump is only a crook business man. He cannot rise over it.
2
Where are the right-wing religious leaders prophesying doom and gloom? Hmm? If OBama were still President, the Religinati would be about talking End of Times and God’s will etc. Hmm?
6
Wow, are all thing's bad events that happen caused by Mr. Trump?
It appears most reader's have the same opinion, over and over.
That if a Democrat were the President. That the world would be perfect.
Is there no diversity of thought's among N.Y Times Reader's?
2
@Southwest Reader The readers here are responding to Trumps idiocy and incapacity to respond to this crisis, no one is saying he caused it. He dismantled Obama instituted mechanisms to deal with pandemics. For starters. That would be still there if Trump were not the president.
2
The man's malignant narcissism is killing Americans. Where the heck are those tests?
4
That is, a blowhard reading from a teleprompter... with such distaste for what he was asked to read! Times like these call for coming together, even while practicing social isolation. It would be a miracle if the GOP would please stop playing politics.
2
Vpr tells me that my ÙSA cannot even do the most essential thing needed. Test and learn.
Does the President have A Plot Against America? It appears so.
(Philip Roth's book is being discussed on NPR as my bus takes me across Sweden
New york times give us data state by state.
In Tables.
Tell us how testing is done. Cost?
Free in European countries I believe. In South Korea?
Has Trump been tested?
Is there any hope for America?
Tell us more, much more.
Only-NeverInSweden.blogspot.com
Citizen US SE
2
"We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard."
Donald trump couldn't lead an ant to a picnic.
6
Now what wood be the odds of that.
Krugman's quote, "what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard" kinda says it all.
Not the type of "leadership" we need, esp. not in a crisis.
2
Trump has fired anyone competent in any important capacity and stocked himself with syncophants. This is the reason for the Covid testing fiasco. The only thing he is good at is bankruptcy. He will leave the US bankrupt and much of the world in shreds.
2
Remove Donald J. Trump and let the healing begin. Please!
Private citizens must develop testing for Covid 19. on our own. Drive through fast foods should be converted to test facilities and new ones installed in parks and parking lots. Bring in the South Koreans as consultants or even as contractors. We have failed to act in the face of a mortal threat. Only one word for it...pathetic.
Stop finger pointing and wash your hands of Trump, then use those hands to get to work.
4
Trump is a joke but it’s not funny.
3
People are flying in from Italy are not being screened or tested?! They're just walking out of the airport and going on about their merry way? What the heck is going on here?
With a 50% infection rate, and a mortality rate of 3.5%, six million Americans could end up dead.
6,000,000 - dead! And another 130,000,000 globally.
Meanwhile, some idiotic reality TV star with a spray on tan is sitting on his head in the Oval Office twiddling his thumbs, wondering how he can turn this whole thing to his personal advantage.
And the major headlines of the day are all about how a bunch of greedy, self-serving, filthy rich stock holding gamblers are having a bad day?
"My fellow Americans...", WE ARE DOOMED!
3
Back in October 2016, so terrified by the prospect of you know you, and inspired by the Flashdance movie song, "He's a Manic," I wrote the lyric,"Megalomaniac," to create a song video that I hoped would get out the vote. "Just a pompous blowhard looking to be President" was how the song opened after the refrain of, "He's a megalomaniac," and one of the last lines, "A blowhard without the soul to be a President." If there were another verse, Paul, I'd add your concluding words: "... an incompetent, delusional blowhard." I started a facebook page, "Trauma Informed Approach to Donald Trump: Beyond Despair is Strength" but eventually felt the situation was hopeless, and not being able to get even myself beyond despair, I became too depressed to keep posting. I wrote the lyric "Goin' All The Way Down" in 2017 inspired by the song, “I’m Going Down” by Rose Royce and then as sung by Mary J. Blige, as an anthem of hope, feeling, "yes, finally he's going to be impeached!" But he wasn't and now he was, but nothing changed. So now there's the terror inducing coronavirus let loose in the world (global pandemic, illness, death, shortage of health care, lack of testing in the USA, and economic collapse) and I'm writing a comment: "Donald Trump is a lethal moral infection that cannot but worsen the coronavirus as it spreads without discrimination across the United States and the world. The reign of Donald Trump is literally killing people." Doesn't the truth matter anymore?
3
Social Security payroll deductions should NEVER be candidates for ANY "tax relief ", as they belong to the workers, NOT to this fraud "president". His pathetic and obvious attack on Social Security should make all U.S. workers furious (to take a page from his knee-jerk reaction to anything he doesn't like).
Don't touch Social Security. EVER!
WHERE ARE THE TEST KITS?!?!?
He keeps lying about them, vainly attempting to pretend "everything's OK". It's NOT OK!
This "president" cannot handle the job, that's more than clear. He MUST get out of the way, stop "classifying" Covid-19 strategy meetings, and let the medical professionals, led by Dr. Fauci, determine how to handle this situation, and that requires adequate funding for the CDC, not bank bailouts!
2
Trump has melted down to the floor. Time to let him take a nice rest somewhere out of the Oval Office.
2
@engaged observer
Rikers.
2
The virus and the parasite.
3
Hello Paul and Thanks !
45 has NO Capacity for Humane Causes,
...NOR do the republicKlans in congress,
...it Only makes Sense if SPREADING this Contagion WAS their Plan from the Start !!
Clearly,
Spreading this Contagion is FINE With them,
...Restricting TESTING or at Least GUMMING Up the Works in the CDC,
...Even FAILING To Be Tested Themselves,
...just LOOK at pence & 45 still shacking hands WHEN they should BE in Isolation !!!
Maybe the Questions are more of “How” does it Help 45 and the republicKlans to WITHHOLD and to STONEWALL in a Time of PANDEMIC ??
2
I love that Faux "news" is saying that the Coronavirus is a hoax, that there is nothing to worry about, that everything is fine.
I similarly commend Trump for not cancelling his rallies.
Talk about instant karma....
.
1
Well said and thank you!
1
I encourage The New York Times to offer a side by side video of President Macron and President Trump addressing their respective nations about the Coronavirus crisis. It dramatically reveals the difference between an eloquent leader and a crude mob boss.
5
I can only summon two words.
Dilly dilly.
1
"We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard."
Also, Trump is the only one who seems to think of corona virus as a foreign entity. Haven't anyone else describe the virus that way.
1
Every dark cloud hs a silver lining; coronavirus , the dark cloud and the demise of Donald Trump the silver lining.
1
Donald Trump the Herbert Hoover of the 21st Century.
2
Ironic that a huge block of people this virus decimates are going to be old, white, anti-science, stubborn, Fox watching Trump voters. You would think he would do more to protect his core voting demographic.
3
“Everywhere you would look for reassurance, for leadership, for policy action, for reliable information — all are absent.”
3
A former reality TV charlatan with multiple bankruptcies and failed marriages, congenital mendacity and malignant narcissism is failing dismally as a leader ... hmm, who could have seen this coming?
4
Nero fiddles while Rome burns
1
This is not only gross incompetence on Trump's part but dereliction of duties!!!
1
In Italy, in a two week period, the dead went from 10 to 400... two weeks.
The entire country is now locked down.
This has got to be THE GREATEST HOAX EVER against Trump. I mean 114 nations, millions of people, thousands of companies crashing even thousands of people who are willing to die.... just to pull a hoax on Trump. This must be the GREATEST COORDINARED EFFORT EVER perpetrated by man kind TO ACCOMPLISH A SINGLE GOAL. Even the Arabs are going along with it by dumping oil on the market... Wow, now that's what I call planning and coordination.
1
Trump was an incompetent, delusional blowhard before this pandemic. Add corrupt, amoral and ignorant to Trump's resume and you get a more complete picture of the man.
There's a significant group of the same kind of men and women in today's Republican party.
Innocent people will die because of them.
3
One other thing he does when things go bad: Blame Obama.
4
One synonym for blowhard is 'trumpeter'. Perfect---also a boaster, bragger, show off, egotist.
That tells it.
How long, oh Lord, how long--- we must ask, as Dr King asked. Does the arc of American politics bend toward justice? Or what?
1
There are less than 2000 cases across the entire US. Is that your definition of a failure?
Do you need marshal law to be declared to make your anti Trump rhetoric work? The CDC has not put forth any measures that are different then how you treat the flu.
Cease with the hype already!
2
Actually, we don't know how many cases there really are across the country, because this Administration has failed to institute a viable testing regimen.
Love the WAPO article about fox-viewing oldsters in the Villages in Central Florida who still insist the corona virus is a hoax. They should all be sent on an endless world-wide cruise immediately.
6
Paul, tell us what you REALLY believe about him. "Incompetent, delusional blowhard" is really understating his utter unfitness for office by several magnitudes.
2
He just flat out lies, and lies, and lies - it is beyond comprehensible!
1
Would the adults in the room please stand up and put this man in the corner for being totally incompetent?
1
"An incompetent delusional blowhard." I love Krugman. He has a gift for the succinct. He correctly identifies what the country needs and clearly states what the Republicans are not providing. Vote the Republicans out of every office in the land. We need a government free of corruption.
2
“It’s the tests, stupid”! So why keep the tests to a minimum and the results semi secret? Dr Krugman postulates a likely but disgusting answer. Trump can turn a medical lemon into Trump political lemonade. Don’t target hospital gowns, masks, etc. For federal funding, but instead payroll taxes! Through to the election in November! Disgusting, slimy, shameful, and the Trump norm.
1
Trump, Pence, and now I hear Kushner are leading the charge against this pandemic. Really??
Heaven help us!!
1
@Sherry They got their medical credentials from trump university.
Trump is stumped on anything bigger then something that requires more then throwing paper towels at. Maybe this time he should throw toilet paper, just as effective and his symbolism against a sickness where diarrhea is not a symptom.
1
He is faced with a problem that he can neither bomb or bully his way out of.
2
Hey Trump supporters,
Tell us again about the stock market.
2
It’s just like War of the Worlds. In the end it may just be the virus that kills the MAGA Invasion of America.
"Maga Microbe Meltdown." Clever, punchy headline! But will it change any voters' minds who read it?
Most of us know full well this guy is "an incompetent, delusional blowhard." Writing that may feel good, but wastes valuable column space. No GOP voter will read it and say--- Oh gosh, thanks, Paul for the tip-- I’ll vote for the Dem in 2020.
Instead we need frank discussion of our health care system, its economics, and effect on Americans.
Compare/contrast. 27.5 million Americans lack health insurance. In other capitalist democracies NOBODY lacks insurance.
NYT editorial: “We Are Ignoring One Obvious Way to Fight the Coronavirus? Paid sick leave could slow the spread of the disease and its impact on the economy.”
Washington Post -- “Gig workers face the spread of coronavirus with no safety net. Drivers for Uber, Lyft, delivery people for Instacart and DoorDash are independent contractors and do not receive sick leave or health-care benefits.”
Paid sick leave is humane and decent, per standards of most modern democracies.
Wikipedia— “Paid sick leave is a statutory requirement in most European, many Latin American, a few African and Asian countries…”
But here, it can be labeled as un-American, big-govt interference. Our politics has blocked the basic human rights that are norms in other democracies.
This is the overriding issue that needs at least 1 column from the Nobel economist concerned with inequality, --not only the iniquity of Trump/GOP.
@Meredith This opinion column helps us vent our frustration with the horrendous electoral college president and his minions.
1
When Trump gets the coronavirus and croaks, President Pence will lead us out this crisis with solemn looks, marathon sessions of prayer and vows of chastity.
I am afraid our president could demonstrate an unusual physical finding to an acute listener who got close enough to him. It is possible the listener could detect a SUCCUSSION SPLASH when he turns his head around.
This sound is made by fluid sloshing around in a hollow space which in his case would be an empty skull.
In your list of three things Trump does, you forgot a fourth: blame immigrants and aliens like the Chinese.
1
Perhaps the Corona virus is now doing the heavy lifting...exposing a con and removing it. Sorry so many have to suffer but we can now clearly see the man behind the curtain.
1
USA, you just missed your chance to impeach Trump but you might consider the 25 Amendment. Who would Administer it in the cabinet? Nobody sane is left!
Maybe Trump has the coronavirus and it has affected his brain...if he has one!
If you look at the conservative sites, you can see the Russian/Republican trolls are out in force promoting their standard lines that it's just another anti-Trump hoax, something, anything is wrong with Joe.
1
Trump and Ivanka should be tested for COVID-19.
Trump utter fails during a crisis? Duh. The real story will be the soaring death rate among white, elderly republican voters who are still true believers.
2
Once again, Paul Krugman hits the nails in a few short, direct blows. What a sick presidency in a time of sickness!
1
Its KARMA time.- Reap what you sow...
There is only one way this ignoramus will understand what he has done and that is to experience what the illness is like because he ignored the warnings.
1
Trump is a Narcissistic Public Health Threat and not the leader the world needs—-remember this in November 2020 !!
Christopher Stanton MD
1
Can we move up the election to Saturday?
2
Sick leave DOES equal socialism. The kind of socialism you need to deal with a pandemic. (Democratic socialism is GOOD!)
What we need is for Republicans to broker his resignation. They know he's unfit and too many lives are at risk.
19
@Julie that's nice dream...
Told you the Republicans would find a way to precipitate another Economic Depression on the way out! They do it every time!
This time it was via even more manifest incompetence and bald-faced lying than G.W. Bush proved capable of, but that’s only because there are younger, sicker minds present around the Ostrich in Chief this time.
The show’s been grand, with a smash-bang finale! This one should close to reviews that will echo through the next ten years, as we all prepare to die from climate change.
Or maybe The Crash will be so sustained and potent this time it will save Planet Earth, if not us?
Make sure you have a prepper kit and hunting knife, just in case.
7
Trump has never risen, only plumbed new depths of depravity.
Madame Speaker Pelosi is the highest duly selected United States official, and extraordinarily competent and wise.
I suspect she will disintermediate the banks, and provide low rate governmental debt liquidity to critical industries ( structured as convertible debt to provide the adequate risk-reward), small businesses that retain their workers, and consumers that are impacted by COVID -19 economy.
This global pandemic requires a different policy response than other historical events. The type of deep liquidity banks have always enjoyed should be targeted directly to the end user to save off a Depression or highly destructive downturn.
Trump will always look for an excuse to bail out the wealthy, in egalitarian socialism coupled with corrupt intent.
Madame Speaker Pelosi will ensure the Congressional package that passes meets the needs of the people and small businesses.
Trump lost whatever rapport he had with the Speaker, just as he has burned bridges his entire pathetic life. He has bankrupted 6 companies in a row, and after cash stripping America of Keynesian economic solutions to a real Crisis, he has no sway.
Emperor Caligula wears no clothes, to the immense regret of the public.
8
MAGA.. so does the benchmark for "Again" mean 1929... when a free America meant a totally unregulated Wall Street, when strikers and unions were shot at by the National Guard, where so many youth didnt finish high school, health care was a dream for many. Unregulated, undemocratic, unkind capitalism? Is the rust belt now hopeless, with unreal dreams of living in the newly developed far West, where "real" Americans live with their fancy, invented first names?
Well...maybe this virus is blind...but those with money will fare better, won t they? Just one less vacation..one less cruise.
4
Not only that, he refuses to bring in German-made tests so more people can be tested! The stable genius is going to kill more people with his American made program. Please report on this! We need a collective protest.
9
I think Trump wants to be the first president to actually fulfill the FEMA camps conspiracy theory: declare martial law and sequester the infected at FEMA camps around the US. (Didn't Jesse Ventura show us stacks of FEMA coffins just waiting to be used?)
2
Here's hoping the trumpanzees keep going to their rallies and self-deport as a result. It's too bad that such a negative thought has become the best outcome we can hope for, but There's No Fixing Stupid.
5
Universal basic income . Send every American a check for $2000 a month until the crisis is over
2
Here is the time when the American individualist ideology comes to be questioned .
“We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard.” If there’s a silver lining in this crisis, it’s underscoring what over half the country knew three years ago - that DT couldn’t lead himself out of a well-lit phone booth.
8
I really, Really, REALLY don't want to see Donald Trump with no clothes on, so count me out on that one.
2
The evidence that the "incompetent, delusional blowhard" did commit impeachable offenses was blocked by Senate Republicans. They sealed their political fate at the cost of the nation's health and well-being.
8
Why has senator Johnson suddenly given up on the Hunter Biden hearings? The Senate should focus on the important things, not on a democratic hoax of the invasion of the formerly so called foreign Chinese virus that now has metamorphosed into the foreign European virus?
1
This election could see the Republican Party annihilated. If the Democrats win they will likely give eleven million Dreamers their citizenship. Their gratitude at subsequent elections will give the Democrats a permanent boost, and likely see the Republicans out of the While House permanently and always a minority in Congress.
An acquaintance of mine, Niccolò, a perspicuous Florentine, fled from the plague and quarantined in my library, advises a coup d’état if the election goes badly for them, otherwise they will be out of power forever. I assume he was joking.
1
Maybe Trump thinks the pandemic is a solution to the Medicare funding crisis. Now that would be repugnant.
2
Look on the bright side. By this time a week or two from now Nancy Pelosi could end up being the President!
5
“We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard.”
And do we finally see that the emperor has no clothes?
4
Paul,
You missed one, and it's crucial. When "bad things happen," Trump's first impulse is to invent a villain and attack it to the point of savagery. It makes for great sport. I hope Republican voters have enjoyed their repulsive ride of bitterness, bile and greed. But now it's done, boys and girls. We'll bail you out again just in time for you to launch another debt commission.
2
Good to see that while we don't have enough test kits, Trump goes out and plays golf.
Enjoy life Don-Boy! Things are perfect!!
Bye-Don!
3
The US would probably fare better without a president, than they are with Trump.
5
Trump has no credibility. Zero. None.
4
This is the point when Donald Trump in his past life would walk away and file bankruptcy!! I'm sure he's wishing he could walk away from this nightmare which history will show he could have gotten under control, taken care of Americans and came out of it a hero. Now we are truly seeing the real man. The no empathy, the no one is smarter than me (Medical Savant) the liar that somehow convinced voters that he was the real deal. I am still flabbergasted at the folks that only watch Fox news and believe this is a hoax. Maybe when Sean or some other of his friends get sick Fox news will have to admit that these are critical times we are experiencing right now!! Probably not.........
1
I agree but would add one item to the list of Trump's playbook: work tirelessly to change the subject by blaming _______ (fill in the blank: the current filler is Hunter Biden) for all our problems.
3
Paragraphs 3 and 4 are simply superb. Each consisely identifiies the failings of the President's response and why. Economy.
2
This is not the first crisis that DJT failed in or finageled with. I cannot name one action that he has done that helped majority of Americans. It is all about him, his family and his minions.
3
We've known, or most of us have, since before he was elected that you can't believe a word that comes out of this man's mouth. And yet, there he is, spouting gibberish again with his own brand of levity and grace, and his minions lap it up. Markets and traders have come around to the fact, since bull throwers are the first to spot another bull thrower, and are reacting in panic to the obvious lack of qualified leadership. The economy will take a bigger hit than necessary, the lower classes will be hurt more (as usual), and many republican donors, politicians, and lobbyists will figure out a way to make a profit from it. The Shock Doctrine writ large.
3
Incompetent, delusional blowhard indeed. Yet, not one reasoned argument will dissuade his followers from worshiping him. Unfortunately for the citizenry, this single cult's ignorant insistence on their righteousness and consequent continued foray into the world infects us all.
2
My god, every man, woman and child’s life is at stake, and the shining house on the hill is having a fake news party, and for a insecure psychopath’s ego. God help us. Really, this is no drill, this is no game, this is serious. Please, listen.
2
Dr Krugman- I rarely agree with your columns. I find them disappointing because rather than learning from a great economic mind, I read nothing but political opinions. I can get them anywhere. This column is particularly atrocious. As usual, you offer nothing constructive. While this virus was not released by the left, the press is certainly using it to try to prevent Trump from being reelected. How about offer something constructive instead about how to prevent things like this from destroying the world economy?
1
"We needed to see a leader; what we saw was an incompetent, delusional blowhard."
We've been seeing that for the past four years.
1
Trump Slump is coming for your savings.
1
The president's response to Covid-19 is the same as a deer caught in the headlights.
1
Anyone truly paying attention before Trump's election could see who he was. Maybe nobody expected him to be this incompetent or cruel, but we could see some of what was coming. The sad thing is his most slavish followers will ignore all facts presented to them. They're likely not going to read comments from a bunch of so-called liberals, and perhaps even when many of them are dying in their beds they will still be blaming any factor but Trump's incompetence, laying our problems at China's doorstep, or Europe's, or anywhere but on the occupant of the White House.
1
To be fair, what we've seen for more than three years now is an incompetent, delusional blowhard. Only the stakes have changed.
3