The mind of Donald Trump is a mysterious machine. He couldn’t decide if he wanted to lift the national quarantine and miraculously have the economy up and running again by Easter, or to double down and further lock down portions of the country in order to fulfill the requests of some of his conservative cronies.
Current Events
Donald Trump may be considered an egomaniacal nincompoop to many in the country, but one thing he excels at is being a bully. Not only is he great at it, but it’s his “go-to” move in solving all of life’s problems. Except, now he’s met his match. He can’t bully the coronavirus. He can’t tweet the coronavirus into submission. In short, he can’t control it. In the words of Dr. Anthony Fauci who delivered an indirect warning to ‘The Donald’ and his belief that he could reopen the nation on Easter and the virus would somehow disappear on that exact date: “You don’t make the timeline. The virus makes the timeline.”
Sadly, Trump either doesn’t realize this or he doesn’t accept it. For the first time in his life, he’s being told no — by a virus, no doubt — and there’s nothing he can do about it. So, he’s angry.
Yes, Trump initially announced he would lift the quarantine on Easter Sunday and pack the churches because he just thought “it was a beautiful time.” However, reality and the decades of experience between his team of medical advisors convinced him such a move would be the equivalent of walking the American people into a slaughterhouse. So, King Trump opted instead to reopen the Midwest, Texas, and the mountain states — as if the coronavirus could magically stop itself at state lines.
Then, after his buddy Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida complained that those dirty liberal New Yorkers were fleeing the coronavirus hotspot of Manhattan and infecting the sunshine state, Trump threatened to impose a complete quarantine and full travel lockdown on New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. No mention was made of DeSantis’ failure to close Florida beaches to Spring Break revelers only a week ago, who may have already infected his state or taken the virus back with them to their home states.
“Mike, don’t call the governor in Washington, you’re wasting your time with him. Don’t call the woman in Michigan [Gov. Whitmer].” – Donald Trump
Then, Donald Trump couldn’t decide what to do: lift the quarantine for portions of the country, revisit a lockdown of the northeastern states (the new coronavirus epicenter), or just lift the isolation for everybody and hope for the best.
What exactly is driving his decision-making process? It’s very simple: ego and politics.
Donald Trump is now between a rock and a hard place. Without the ability to control the virus via his usual methods of controlling anyone or anything, he’s at the mercy of something that has power over him — a power that will almost certainly hurt his pockets and his presidency.
If Trump keeps the country closed, the thriving economy he’s bragged about and expected to run for reelection on will continue to tank and will leave a string of devastation across Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan, and Wisconsin — states with voters Trump needs to return to the Oval Office in 2021. If Trump reopens the country, millions of Americans WILL die — many of whom will almost certainly be elderly and poorer class voters Trump needs to return to the Oval Office in 2021.
So, in other words, it’s a “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t” scenario for the notoriously thin-skinned Trump.
As further proof of his anger due to the inability to target this intangible enemy, ‘The Donald’ lashed out at several Democratic governors on Friday, threatening that if they don’t “show appreciation” to him (read: kiss his ass), then he and VP Mike Pence should ignore their pleas for masks, ventilators, and other life-saving equipment.
“I say, ‘Mike, don’t call the governor in Washington, you’re wasting your time with him. Don’t call the woman in Michigan.’ You know what I say, if they don’t treat you right, I don’t call,” he said during an angry rant on Friday.
He then tweeted:
I love Michigan, one of the reasons we are doing such a GREAT job for them during this horrible Pandemic. Yet your Governor, Gretchen “Half” Whitmer is way in over her ahead, she doesn’t have a clue. Likes blaming everyone for her own ineptitude! #MAGA
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 28, 2020
Trump also spent the weekend tweeting that he’s a “ratings hit,” tweeting about Prince Harry and Meghan Markle, as well as tweeting against the news media for not giving him enough praise. His anger then boiled over during a Sunday press conference when he was forced to admit that his Easter reopening date was a pipe dream.
“President Trump is a ratings hit. Since reviving the daily White House briefing Mr. Trump and his coronavirus updates have attracted an average audience of 8.5 million on cable news, roughly the viewership of the season finale of ‘The Bachelor.’ Numbers are continuing to rise…
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 29, 2020
For once, he’s met his match. For once, he’s come up against a bully that’s bigger and more powerful than him. For once, America may have finally found the kryptonite that could take Donald Trump down.
You are right DJ Trump is mad he cannot Control this with tweets. All he knows how to do is be a bully not a leader. I am glad he is listening some to those doctors but he still thinks this is a game. He should go to jail for holding supplies from Michigan because he dislikes the governor. I hope the people there remember this when they vote.