Trump is the other existential crisis facing America

The coronavirus represents an existential threat to public health and public wealth. Drastic measures to contain the health crisis are leading to a wealth crisis, a situation unique in US; indeed world history.

But President Trump only sees the wealth crisis which affects both his business and political futures. He squandered many weeks at the start denying the health crisis to maintain the skyrocketing stock market fueling both his monetary and political fortunes. He pitched coronavirus as a hoax at his hate filled political rallies, likely the only public events at which he truly feels alive. He encouraged a slew of his talk show sycophants to peddle the hoax story, linking it solely to his political opposition.

Trump enabler Tucker Carlson, sensing the backlash, conducted an intervention with Trump on March 7, advising him the time was right to pivot and feign concern for the approaching avalanche of infections and death. In the three weeks since, we’re now subjected to Trump’s daily new public rallies masquerading as a coronavirus briefing. Trump handles the rally portion, spewing lies and half-truths about the cascade of non-existent ventilators, masks and cures at hand, while esteemed allergy and infectious disease specialist Anthony Fauci hovers behind Trump to correct him when he mis-speaks. Fauci’s absence at one such rally caused public shock. Trump unloads on hated members of the press, expresses sarcastic pleasure that his Republican rival Sen. Mitt Romney tested positive for coronavirus, and focuses almost exclusively on pushing up the return to work and a thriving economy, the upward curve of infections and death be damned. Trump’s delusion on the health crisis is exemplified by his hallucinatory comment that more Americans will commit suicide from the economic collapse than succumb to the virus.

Every hoax-pushing talking head in the media should be fired. They have put untold millions in peril. Alas, Trump should be the first to go, but a power obsessed Republican Party has ensured he is impeachment proof.

One existential crisis at a time is all we can handle. Trump is an existential crisis too far.