WEST BRATTLEBORO — On April 13, Donald Trump falsely asserted that “[w]hen somebody is the president of the United States, the authority is total,” regarding when to reopen the economy during the COVID-19 crisis.
In a democracy, authority is given from the people, not demanded from the leader. Authorities must be truthful and honest in order to have “authority” over others.
In the past three years, Mr. Trump has lied more than 17,000 times. The drip, drip, drip of his lies has eroded any authority he retains from his office.
The office will remain, and we must respect that, and the man who occupies it will change. When that happens, history will judge this president, and his authority will return to fake firing of fake employees from a fake television show.
Governors, who issued the initial orders to shut down their states, have the constitutional authority to decide when to safely reopen them.
Listening to this president will get people killed, as already has been proven by his trying to sell the 2020 version of snake oil (hydroxychloroquine). This unproven and untested drug, in which The New York Times reports that Mr. Trump owns a financial stake, has been responsible for deaths across the United States due to heart complications.
Three weeks ago, when asked if he took any responsibility for the federal government's inept, late, and insufficient response to the crisis, “No, I don't take responsibility at all.”
Mr. Trump's obvious interests in this (and any other issue) has always been “What's good for Trump's business is good for America,” the variation on the economic dictum of the '60s.
With all due respect, Mr. President, I'd prefer living long and safe to getting you re-elected.