Opinion: People die as Donald Trump lets the pandemic rage - Deutsche Welle

More than 130,000 people have died of COVID-19 in the US — and the number of cases is exploding. Yet President Donald Trump refuses to take action. DW's Ines Pohl fears that the United States is heading for disaster.

US President Donald Trump's world is small. And simple. He only acknowledges the facts that suit him. He gets rid of people whose opinions do not match his. He refuses to consider points contrary to his politics. Trump's agenda is simple: give more to the people who already have plenty — and keep Christians on his side so that they vote for him again. 

This approach has worked for Trump. The economy was doing well. Unemployment had fallen. The 45th president of the United States had a dedicated fan base who believed he was showing the world that America is "great" — especially when it puts itself first. But a virus has brought everything crashing down.

DW's Ines Pohl

Though many countries put stringent measures in place to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, Trump refused to take the pandemic seriously. It was as if he thought that he was still hosting a reality show and writing the script himself.

Read more: WHO launches panel to review international COVID-19 response

From the beginning, the economy was Trump's No. 1 priority — not public health. Trump and some of his advisers were apparently prepared to sacrifice elderly and ill populations so as not to disrupt the economy and endanger his chances of being reelected in November. It was business as usual: No one should stop working, no business should close, and no profits should be lost.

But then New York turned into a hellhole. At that point, Trump needed to begin taking the situation seriously. He should have finally announced that he was putting public health first. He should have issued directives to ensure that people wore protective masks and kept a distance from each other. He should have done this to prevent the rapidly spiraling situation from getting even worse.

Read more: After downplaying virus, Brazil's Jair Bolsonaro tests positive

A strong man?

Trump did not. A strong man does not show weakness. A strong man does not wear a mask. Masks were for the weak: for Democrats.

The virus continued to spread across the US. It is now ravaging states that typically vote Republican.

And the economy has not been spared. The worst-hit states are those that imposed few regulations early in the pandemic: the ones where authorities did not want to risk losing political support and spoke of intrusions on individual liberties rather than broad measures to preserve public health. They were covering for their president — a man who continues to blame the whole pandemic on his enemies. 

New developments

The tide could be changing.

Read more: Arsonists torch Melania Trump statue in Slovenia

The coronavirus is particularly spreading in the regions that Trump needs for his reelection. Hospitals are filled to capacity, and the number of infections is expected to rise in the wake of last weekend's July 4th celebrations.

Finally, mayors and governors in many Republican states — even Texas — have made face masks mandatory in situations where socially distancing is not possible. Fewer people are attending Trump's rallies, and his efforts to distract voters from the catastrophic consequences of his failure to react to the pandemic seem to be failing.

Even some prominent Republicans have expressed their doubts about him or warned of the dangers that the United States would face should he win reelection. Many of his former supporters also seem to be waking up. They are worried as it becomes increasingly clear that they are at risk of getting seriously ill, of dying, of losing loved ones.

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  Music in US presidential campaigns

  George Washington: 'God Save Great Washington'

  George Washington was the first presidential candidate to use a specific song in his election campaign. "God Save Great Washington" is considered the personal anthem of the first President of the United States. The melody of the British anthem "God Save The King" was given new words without further ado, the president's name replacing the word "king."

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  Music in US presidential campaigns

  John F. Kennedy, 1960: Frank Sinatra's 'High Hopes'

  Sammy Cahn wrote new lyrics to Frank Sinatra's Oscar-winning 1959 hit "High Hopes" for the Kennedy election campaign in 1960. It became the official campaign tune.

• 

  Music in US presidential campaigns

  Ronald Reagan, 1984: Bruce Springsteen's 'Born in the U.S.A.'

  The song chosen for Reagan's 1984 re-election campaign may be the biggest mistake in the history of campaign songs. "Born in the U.S.A." is not as patriotic as one might think. In the song, Bruce Springsteen takes a critical stance on the Vietnam War and criticizes the US government for its treatment of war veterans.

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  Music in US presidential campaigns

  Bill Clinton, 1992: Fleetwood Mac's 'Don't Stop'

  It's believed that the choice of the 1977 hit "Don't Stop (Thinking About Tomorrow)" was a carefully calculated. That song had been especially popular with young Americans at the time, and 15 years later, Fleetwood Mac fans were middle-aged voters — a generation with a particularly high voter turnout.

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  Music in US presidential campaigns

  George W. Bush, 2000: Tom Petty's 'I Won't Back Down'

  Protesting against the use of his song at campaign rallies, Tom Petty prohibited George W. Bush from using it in 2000. Twenty years later, President Donald J. Trump had the very same song played at a campaign rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma — and the late musician's family sent a cease-and-desist letter.

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  Music in US presidential campaigns

  Barack Obama, 2008: Stevie Wonder's 'Signed, Sealed, Delivered (I'm Yours)'

  "Signed, Sealed, Delivered" by Stevie Wonder was regularly played during Barack Obama's 2008 election campaign. The message to his voters was "I am yours!" Many pop greats supported Obama, including Bruce Springsteen, Beyoncé and Katy Perry. Rapper and producer will.i.am of the Black Eyed Peas produced the track "Yes We Can" in his honor.

  Author: Dagmar Schönowsky (db)

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Opinion: People die as Donald Trump lets the pandemic rage - Deutsche Welle
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