Meet the new Trump, same as the old Trump
Donald Trump would have you believe that his Tuesday coronavirus briefing unveiled a “kinder, gentler” Trump. His aides have been trying in vain to get Trump to stick to coronavirus, to temper his attacks, and to appear (emphasis on “appear”) to focus on the American public. He tried his best to make those things happen, though he could not resist repeatedly referring to coronavirus as “China virus.” At some point, Trump’s people must stop feigning ignorance of Trump’s behavior and admit that he is simply a devout racist who cannot help but spew racist rhetoric. Even though he appeared to be focused on the virus, he still said nothing of substance.
Trump made an about-face on his vigorous push to open schools in the fall. Instead, he promised a “very powerful strategy” to contain the virus, get a vaccine, and reboot the economy. The problem with Trump is that he never articulates what those plans contain. This is like his promise to replace Obamacare with a “beautiful” healthcare plan that has never materialized. Based on his past pronouncements, we can expect Trump’s “very powerful strategy” to disappear almost as soon as the words were out his mouth. While Trump and his aides believe his briefing renewed confidence in the American public, they might want to think again, as CNN was busily compiling his repeated lies.
CNN reported that Trump repeated many of the same false claims he has made in the past. During his briefing, Trump continued to claim that the U.S. has conducted more tests than any other country, though several countries have obviously done a better job of controlling the virus. That control allowed them to stop frequent testing. We have not come even close to being in that position, though Trump still wants testing to stop. Trump also reiterated his ridiculous claim that coronavirus “will disappear” even as he refuses to acknowledge the same claim from earlier. Not only has it not disappeared, it continues to grow. Medical professionals have repeatedly said that it will “take years” for the virus to be eradicated and question whether it will ever be fully eliminated.
Trump also returned to his tired schtick of blaming the Obama administration for the “empty cupboards” he inherited and claimed that he alone passed the Veterans Choice Act, which granted resources to the Department of Veterans Affairs. CNN reminds us that Bernie Sanders and John McCain sponsored the bill that was eventually signed into law by President Obama. As for the “empty cupboards” claim, CNN reported that the Strategic National Stockpile was not empty, and that Trump squandered three years that he could have spent replenishing supplies. Trump should really stop making this claim as it only supports the belief that he stole the presidency to line his pockets not to “make America great again.” He has, in fact, made America worse. If he wants something to claim, there it is. He should start claiming all his failures and move on so that we can try to make America great following his disastrous presidency.
Shirley is a former entertainment writer and has worked in the legal field for over 25 years