Ever since the outbreak began, the president has had difficulty saying the same thing twice. He has uttered one falsehood after another. He has demonstrated almost total lack of comprehension of what is going on. He has not shown leadership.
I am familiar with his brand and I expect him—and have always expected him—to act this way. But especially in circumstances such as these, what he's doing is quite dangerous and manipulative. The country needs reassurance, guidance, and good information. Not thinly veiled campaign rallies.
I recommend this Vox article, which clarifies the egregious shortcomings of Trump's plan to reopen the country for business.
As an aside, I would have hoped that the 60 million people who voted for this person were maybe revisiting that decision. But the president's approval rating is the same, around 45 percent (Gallup just reported an uptick to 49 percent). It seems the president's status among his supporters as a deity remains intact.
That said, the vast majority of Americans are in fact practicing social distancing and not traveling. According to a recent Gallup report:
Seventy-two percent of U.S. adults now say they are avoiding public places like stores and restaurants, well ahead of the 54% reporting this last week. Nearly as many (68%) are forgoing small gatherings of friends and family, up from 46%.
Of course, those numbers should be higher, but we'll take good news where we can get it.
In addition to the Vox article, check this out as well. Not bad:
