Nobody is talking about the COVID-19 situation in the US anymore, but here’s a reminder:
On 6 March, Donald Trump visited the CDC in Atlanta. He insists “We’re in good shape” and continues with this bizarre exchange:
THE PRESIDENT: “As of the time I left the plane with you, we had 240 cases. That’s at least what was on a very fine network known as Fox News. And you love it. But that’s what I happened to be watching. And how was the show last night? Did it get good ratings, by the way?
Q: “I — I don’t, sir.”
THE PRESIDENT: “Oh, really? I heard it broke all ratings records, but maybe that’s wrong. That’s what they told me. I don’t know. I can’t imagine that.”
After gnawing on his ratings comfort-bone, he segues to another favourite theory, that the COVID-19 numbers are fake. His rationale: they don’t factor infected who never report the illness and thus the alarmist facts are overblown, the CV19 epidemic is actually very mild, and the infection rate is ‘way under one percent’. Then, like a infant, his attention is diverted:
THE PRESIDENT: “… so they’re not putting those people in there. And you’re smiling when I say that. Who are you from, by the way?”
Q: “I’m — I’m from CNN.”
THE PRESIDENT: “You are? I don’t watch CNN. That’s why I don’t recognize you.”
Q “Oh, okay. Well, nice to meet you.”
THE PRESIDENT: “I really don’t — I don’t watch it. I don’t watch CNN because CNN is fake news.”
After a meandering diatribe where he fails to answer a bunch of very pertinent questions about the economy, à-propos of nothing, another presidential brain-fart:
THE PRESIDENT” “You know, my uncle was a great person. He was at MIT. He taught at MIT for, I think, like a record number of years. He was a great super genius. Dr. John Trump. I like this stuff. I really get it. People are surprised that I understand it. Every one of these doctors said, “How do you know so much about this?” Maybe I have a natural ability. Maybe I should have done that instead of running for President. But you know what? What they’ve done is very incredible. I understand that whole world. I love that world. I really do. I love that world. And they should be given tremendous credit. And the whole world is relying on us.”
2, 098,106 confirmed cases in the US.
115,980 deaths in the US.
On the day Trump visited the CDC to paint his facile gloze over reality, there were 1,035 COVID deaths in the US, jumping to 1,127 the next day. Yet the President is fixated on one thing, and one thing only: in full re-election mode, he remains as paranoid and deluded as ever, utterly convinced that the ‘official’ numbers conspire to downplay his victory over the virus, that the war against CV19 in fact is won, that he is being robbed of the credit he is pesonally due.
If anyone has the gall to erect a statue of this guy, maybe in one of those townships where the ‘patriots’ are all gunned-up waiting for an imaginary ANTIFA horde to descend, then you have my blessings to push it into the river.
November can’t come soon enough.
