Disclaimer: The opinions expressed in this article are the author’s own. They do not reflect the opinions of Her Campus Media.
On October 1st, 2020, the president of the United States, Donald J. Trump, tested positive for COVID-19. Although the idea of the President getting sick during a pandemic is pretty scary, you can’t help but laugh a bit at the irony of Trump getting COVID. There have been many instances in the past seven months where Trump displayed his carelessness towards this pandemic, and today, I want to bring attention to a few particularly horrible occurrences that could make you believe this is the President’s ultimate karma.
Refusal to Wear a Face Covering
In many press conferences and social gatherings, Trump has gone barefaced while those around him have been wearing masks. Not only does this set a bad example as the leader of a country, but it displays his flippant attitude towards a dire situation. According to the Washington Post, one of Trump’s explanations for his bare face was that he “didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.” It seems the President cares more about making a political statement than about the health and safety of American citizens because, if he really cared about them, he would wear a mask. This is quite contradictory to his famous statement: “America first.” If he really wanted America to be first, wouldn’t it make sense that the wellbeing of Americans was the first priority? In this case, it seems a little more like “Trump first.”
“I see the disinfectant that knocks it out in a minute, one minute”
Back in April, during a press briefing after a presentation regarding the ability disinfectants have to kill the virus on surfaces and in the air, Trump suggested that a “cleaning” of the body through the injection of disinfectants would be something very crucial and beneficial to consider. To his blind followers, this presented itself as a viable solution to the virus. According to Global News, shortly after this briefing, emergency hotlines received hundreds of calls questioning the use and ingestion of disinfectants. These comments and suggestions from the President really show his ignorance not only towards COVID-19 but also towards basic safety precautions. With his power and influence, he needs to be better prepared for situations like these, especially pandemic briefings. Thankfully for him, there was no word of him being treated with disinfectants at the Walter Reed medical center. He later tried to defend himself by stating that this was said sarcastically, but watch the video below and decide for yourself:
Non-Socially Distanced Rallies
Trump has held six indoor rallies after being made aware that COVID-19 is an airborne virus. To make matters worse, there were no safety precautions set in place for these rallies. Trump actually ignored the Nevada state order stating a maximum of fifty people can gather indoors, masks were not made mandatory and there were no social distancing guidelines. According to the New York Times, many attendees laughed at the idea that attending such a large event with no safety precautions posed a threat to them. Trump not only set a bad example for the public but acted as an enabler for citizens who refuse to follow COVID-19 rules and regulations.
These are only a few instances where Trump has displayed some baffling behaviour and perplexing ideas. Not only is it frightening for people all around the world to watch, but it puts a lot of American citizens in danger. Those who solely listen to the President aren’t provided with the accurate and urgent information that they should be equipped with at a time like this. Anyway, the moral of the story is: Trump doesn’t take his own advice and acts in a way that shows his entitlement. His getting COVID-19 can only be seen as an incredible instance of karma.