Telling the Truth for a Minute

Yesterday Donald Trump had to do something he really hates: he had to tell the truth about the coronavirus. He just didn't look like himself: all over social media people wondered if Trump himself had the virus. But telling the truth always makes Trump look sick.

Even if it's just some of the truth. (Trump gave himself a 10 out of 10 on his coronavirus response.)

Even if it's just for a little while. (This morning Trump was blasting Michigan's "failed" governor, "failed" meaning wildly successful Democrat, and gabbing about the "Chinese" virus. Whatever.)

FoxNews swallowed the bitter pill as well.

Reality has forced Trump into some kind of action, and that's a good thing. We need action. But we can't forget some other things.

• Until yesterday, Trump had severely and repeatedly minimized the pandemic. He called it a hoax. He said it was under control two months ago. He said it was under control one month ago. He said it was under control this week. Now he admits, it ain't under control.
• Trump has turned down international help, like testing from the WHO, and he's telling governors it's their problem to find ventilators, when the US has the resources to ramp up production of ventilators and masks. 

• Trump apparently changed course only because UK researchers predicted a death toll of up to 2.2 million in the United States if we maintained our current course. (Link to study results.) The good news is, we're probably beginning to bend the curve.

As a result, "Just 37% of Americans now say they had a good amount or a great deal of trust in what they're hearing from the president, while 60% say they had not very much or no trust at all in what he's saying." 

• How bad is it? Regarding the virus, 74% of Republicans believe Trump compared to 35% of independents and 8% of Democrats. In other words, the Republican Party is a death cult.

How many Americans will die because Donald Trump made the crisis all about appearances rather than accepting the truth? "I don't take responsibility at all," Trump declared, regarding our testing shortcomings. Harry Truman would lose his mind.

And let's not take our eye off the ball. While we may be getting some traction on the virus, the Justice Department has dropped charges against the Russians who interfered in the 2016 elections two weeks ahead of the trial. In fairness, this is what prosecutors said. 

"In light of the defendant’s conduct, however, its ephemeral presence and immunity to just punishment, the risk of exposure of law enforcement’s tools and techniques, and the post-indictment change in the proof available at trial, the balance of equities has shifted. It is no longer in the best interests of justice or the country’s national security to continue this prosecution."

Maybe they're telling the truth.