The Coronavirus pandemic has been a whirlwind for people all around the globe. In the United States particularly, where there are over 7,650,825 cases of the virus and has been 213,430 deaths, there has been a substantial rise in criticism of the government, and its leader, Donald Trump.
Donald Trump has made countless strange remarks throughout his career, and his comments on the Coronavirus have been no different. However, when looking over his statements regarding the Coronavirus, it is hard to ignore the glaring irony that presents itself as a result of his positive diagnosis.
On March 5, 2020, when there are just 172 cases of the Coronavirus, Trump tweeted, “The April 2009-10 Swine Flu, where nearly 13,000 people died in the U.S., was poorly handled.” He was critiquing another administration’s handling of a pandemic and insinuating that the COVID-19 pandemic would be handled better than that: meaning, less dead.
This is the same exact President who boasts about his handling of a pandemic that has left over 200,000 Americans dead, and the loved ones of 200,000 Americans in unimaginable pain. Trump tweets, on September 7, 2020, “Starting to get VERY high marks in our handling of the Coronavirus (China Virus), especially when compared to other countries and areas of the world. Now the Vaccines (Plus) are coming, and fast!”
There is irony in these tweets alone: how can the President deem the handling of the Swine Flu, where there were 13,000 deaths, ‘poorly handled’, but claim the handling of a pandemic that killed over 200,000 people is ‘starting to get VERY high marks’?
However, the greatest irony of all lies in that of Trump’s positive test. In a debate with Presidential Candidate Joe Biden, Trump made fun of Biden’s mask-wearing, saying, “I don’t wear face masks like him. Every time you see him he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away … and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”
This quote is two days before the President tested positive for COVID-19. Joe Biden, who has worn masks in public ever since it was recommended by the CDC, has since tested negative, as has his wife. Biden believes that a nationwide mask mandate should have been enforced long ago, and claims that he would have done so had he held the Presidential spot.
In light of all of the Coronavirus ramifications, one thing remains clear: follow the science. Masks help. Sanitizer helps. Social distancing helps. If each person does those things, the nation only gains aid in fighting the coronavirus pandemic- and helps bring down the number of both cases and deaths.