It isn’t incompetence, it’s criminal intent
In gathering material for his new book, ‘Rage’, Bob Woodward interviewed Trump 18 times for a total of 9 hours that were recorded for the record.
There is no need for further speculation.
Trump’s inaction and nonresponsiveness to the existential threat and fact of COVID19 are the result of malicious intent to deceive the public, not stupidity, ignorance, and/or incompetence:
“In criminal law, intent is a subjective state of mind that must accompany the acts of certain crimes to constitute a violation. A more formal, generally synonymous legal term is scienter: intent or knowledge of wrongdoing.” —Wikipedia
Because he knowingly and intentionally lied to the American people and misled the public about the nature and extent of COVID19, Donald Trump should be held criminally liable for the deaths of more than 190,000 Americans…
People who support Trump are not drawn to his policies. They support him because they hate the people who hate his policies more than they favor Trump….
09/10/2020 @ 7:35 am
Do we know why? Do we know what the calculation was?
09/10/2020 @ 9:07 am
@Koshersalaami;
Trump claims he downplayed the virus to avoid creating a panic.
The calculation or ‘why’ may be in the book.
Commentators appear to be attributing the revealing extended interaction with Woodward to Trump’s narcissism.
09/10/2020 @ 9:29 am
The panic would have been infinitely preferable. Knowing whom we’re dealing with, I suspect it was about keeping businesses open at all costs. That hasn’t worked out.
In terms of electoral impact on Trump, we need this because there’s a boost he may get. It turns out he’s been nominated for a Nobel Peace Prize. That may sound like a joke but it isn’t, and what he’s been nominated for is something any President would have been nominated for: the peace deal between Israel and the United Arab Emirates. The Norwegian guy who nominated him characterized it as a “game changer.” Actually, he’s not wrong. I sure as Hell don’t want Trump to continue as President but this is an actual achievement. There’s no guarantee he’s going to get the prize, just that he was nominated.
09/10/2020 @ 10:00 am
@Koshersalaami;
Trump has enough money to ‘buy’ a nomination for the Peace Prize….
He’d pay for it even though it is something that any president might receive for the ‘accomplishment’.
We’d be better off if his failures re COVID19 were due to incompetence…
Intentional wrongdoing is potentially far more dangerous and destructive than wrongdoing due to negligence or mistake….