Answering yes, to this question, calls for great fortitude and understanding of the culture and attitude of the Trump Administration.
Was it a hunch, a feeling or information in the news which made you believe that we would have the same experience as China and the other Countries which were first hit, by the pandemic?
As the world’s major news organizations BBC, CBS, FOX and MSNBC broadcasting agencies, began reporting stories of newly infected patients hospitalized and on ventilators, the sight of seeing a hospital ICU ward full to capacity, hospital administrators forced to use other wards to accommodate the overflow of newly infected patients.
The Coverage and images of stories, showing the shortage of beds, ventilators, mask and gloves were totally believable, the coverage displayed Covid -19 as a serious and deadly virus to anyone who contracted the disease.
President Trump’s early remarks, “It is China’s Virus.” made it known to us that the first outbreak was in China. A remark he kept repeating.
Seeing the news footage from various news channels, I found it necessary to do a little channel surfing to verify if what I was seeing was truth or fiction. After the horrible shock penetrated my brain sadly, I was convinced that the coverage was true, and the virus was real.
I firmly believed that the numerous Intelligence Agencies of the US Government, the CDC with the vast medical research departments, the US economic and military agencies, had enough resources to slow and combat the virus from infecting and spreading rapidly in the United States.
I expected a greater show of superpower in combating the virus.
1. We soon realized that the Nation had no strategic plan to combat the virus, instead we had a barrage of President Trump’s remarks and jokes about the virus. “It is China’s Virus. We can use Clorox Bleach, to Kill the Virus.”
When I heard these two remark, from the President of the United States. I said, “Houston We Have A Problem.”
I got a sickening feeling that we’re in a tight spot, up the creek without a paddle. Unbelievable, as we all watched in horror as the virus destroyed lives throughout the nation.
I considered that the President may have 3 good strategies or reasons to ignore the early severity of the virus:
a. He has a good poker face; he’s playing it cool, not to instill greater fear in the nation.
b. He is using the virus to polarize his political party almost like a creed; if we Republicans follow our daily routine, live life normally, we have nothing to fear. Covid would be gone by Summer when the weather gets warmer.
c. Ignoring the virus in the early stages, will create greater urgency for larger funding for the Pharmaceutical Companies. Stocks which he and his friends would snap up for greater profits.
2. The President gave little respect to the CDC report on the virus, neither did he pay attention to the Intelligence given to him from various agencies.
3. Early Intervention was totally ignored by the Trump Administration. We are just across the ocean; absolutely nothing was done in the early stages to prevent the virus from ravishing the nation.
4. Neither was early restriction enforced against infected countries, from October 2019 to March 2020, passengers from those Countries were still free to enter the US.
Another reason which made me believe that the virus would spread quickly in the United States as it did in China.
5. After early reports of cases, one in California the other in New York, were discovered. A lack, a Shortage of Medical Equipment to be use as a defense against the virus was also realized.
6. The US ignored early opportunities to fight the virus, as the Medical Community were ill prepared, lacking a Strategic National Plan to fight such an aggressive virus as Covid-19.
Ignoring the CDC report, the World Health Organization’s report on the virus, was a recipe for disaster in the United States.
7. The Seventh signs that the US was going to be hit badly by Covid-19, was President Trump’s lack of concern, interest and empathy to understand the seriousness of the virus. It appeared as if he was more interested in his re-election campaign, rather than the daily rising death toll which was over 200,000 Thousand at the time of the 2020 election in the US.
Do you think that the President Trump was more interested in his re-election campaign, or that he honestly believed that by Easter or Summer of 2020, when the weather got warmer, the virus would be eradicated, and we would be back to normal?
Sincere wishes to you and your loved ones, as we transition back to life without the threat of Covid-19, over us.
Stay Safe and Healthy,
Donna.