A Question to Ask the President at Next COVID19 Press Conference

I have been watching the President's daily COVID19 press conferences since they began.  At almost every press conference a white house correspondent will get up the courage to ask the President a variant of the same question.  The question will repeat a concern or criticism of the way the administration, more specifically, the President, is handling some aspect of the response to the pandemic.  The question usually seeks an answer that calls for some candid, self-reflection on behalf of the President but more importantly gives the President a platform for reassuring an understandably frightened public.

Invariably our narcissistic and insecure President misperceives the highly predictable and legitimate question as abject criticism of him and launches into a disrespectful and abusive tirade on the reporter and/or their news agency.  While such behavior may make for high Neilson ratings (something the President is so preoccupied with he actually bragged about the ratings during a COVID19 press conference) much like the effect of Judge Judy's non-judicial demeanor or car crashes during Nascar races, the office of the Presidency and the seriousness of the subject deserve better.

A more competent and less insecure President, using a little humility and respect, would take what in reality was a softball question and knock it out of the park. Unfortunately, like in all previous attempts, the reporters questions have fallen just short.  This allowed  the President to go into his rote defense we all have heard countless times.

Yes Mr . President, you did take early action in stopping travel from China in late January and a little later from Europe and for that I do give you credit.  But that was about the only early action you did take during the critical first several weeks after being briefed by the intelligence agencies of the severity of the danger posed by the COVID-19 virus late last year.  Instead of implementing the government’s guidelines for communication, you made statements during your press conferencces that were incorrect,  misleading and often contradictory.  This lack of coherent and consistent messaging when mixed with early indecision on ventilators and the need for shut downs and social distancing, and most importantly the failure to lead an early, coordinated, crash program bringing the vast resources of the federal government to bear on developing  a reliable and efficient antibody test so that we can conduct widespread surveillance testing of the population have put the country in its present precarious position  But it didn’t have to turn out this way.  Instead you squandered precious time with misplaced priorities (e.g. your re-election and the economy) which, God forbid, may cost tens of thousands of United States citizens their lives.

So the question I would have asked the President if I were a White House reporter is:

“Mr. President, the federal government guidelines for how the government should communicate with the public during a national health crisis consists of the following core principles:  “Be first”, “be right”, “be credible“, “show respect” and “promote action”.   Do you think that it is important to follow your governments own guidelines?  If not why?

In follow-up Mr. President, while I appreciate the fact you have, in your words, tried to be “optimistic” and not just come out here day after day with messages of doom and gloom, but with all due respect sir, that approach flies in the face of the expert guidance for handling a public health crisis.  Do you think that approaching this national health crisis in the same manner you would a large business transaction using the same skill sets  have served the country well?”

The fact is the President has been violating nearly every one of the core principles for dealing with a public health crisis.  President Trump is who he is, a business promoter.  He approaches every situation like he is selling a deal.  He calls it being optimistic.  Up until recently it has served him well.  However times of national crises require a very different skill set. Problems of this magnitude require a governmental response.  If your whole political career is based upon the belief that government is the enemy and we should dismantle it, of course your leadership will be ineffective.  We are a government of the people.  The government is us.  During times of national crisis we do not need a one trick pony, a business huckster.  During less serious times a Donald Trump might get away with playing President and amuse the antigovernment contrarians with his “breath of fresh air” approach (putting it politely) but in times of crisis it comes off for what it is, just idiot wind.