From our favorite Earth-Bound Misfit:
I am not saying that Trump could have prevented the pandemic. What I am saying is that forthright action, based on science and not wishful thinking, would have mitigated a lot of it.
What did Trump do in response to Covid-19? He first ignored it for nearly two months. When it couldn’t be ignored anymore, Bunker Boy went on TV daily, turning what was first put forth as a source of information into a daily airing of Trump’s grievances and a full-on display of his tendency to act like a spoiled toddler. His daily briefings were so full of lies, half-truths and insanity that most networks stopped airing them. [1]
His actions, such as they have been, have been based on magical thinking (the virus will go away in the heat! it’ll disappear in April! We’re doing a great job!). When it comes to taking measures that people can do in order to reduce the spread of the virus, wear masks and practice social distancing, Trump has turned those measures into yet another culture war. As in everything else, Trump saw the pandemic as way to turn his base against other people.[2]
A different president, even one as inept at George W. Bush, would have attempted to lead, to get Americans to act together for the benefit of the country.