US President Donald Trump returned to the White House from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Monday after being admitted to the institution on Friday following a positive coronavirus test. Despite having been hospitalized for 72 hours due to dangerously low oxygen levels exacted by the deadly virus, the experience seemed to have changed nothing for the president, who went on to pose for a mask-less photo op on the White balcony shortly after his return. It’s worth noting that this happened even as his doctors reportedly warned him that he was not “out of the woods” yet.
What followed has been nothing short of chaotic and confusing. Even as the White House struggles to deal with the increasing number of coronavirus cases within its own premises—14 people have tested positive in Trump’s inner circle so far—Donald Trump has continued to downplay the severity of the virus, in what can only be described as a desperate effort to show strength amidst a rising death toll in the country. “Don’t be afraid of Covid,” he tweeted on Monday, adding, “Don’t let it dominate your life”.
In another video posted to Twitter on the same day, Trump appeared to justify his behaviour regarding his lack of adherence to social distancing guidelines and not wearing masks by saying: “As your leader, I had to do that. I knew there’s danger to it, but I had to do it. I stood out front. I led. Nobody that’s a leader would not do what I did. I know there’s a risk there’s a danger. That’s OK. And now I’m better, and maybe I’m immune? I don’t know. But don’t let it dominate your lives. Get out there, be careful”. Trump’s remarks drew heavy criticism from not only opposition lawmakers, but also pandemic survivors, who called the president’s actions embarrassing and out of touch with reality, given that he received treatment that is not yet widely available to the masses.
On Tuesday, Trump also abruptly called off negotiations between Democrats and Republicans over a new stimulus package to address the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis, stating that he would wait until after the election to pass a “major stimulus bill that focuses on hardworking Americans and Small Businesses”. The announcement came just hours after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome H. Powell said that a stimulus was crucial to sustaining economic recovery. However, in a bizarre twist, just a few hours after publicly terminating the stimulus talks, Trump called on Congress to approve $25 billion in new federal economic relief for the airline industry, which has already begun massive layoffs after federal aid programs expired last week. The president also said that he would sign a stand-alone bill for stimulus checks of $1,200 for millions of Americans and said that he wanted immediate aid for small businesses.
The president’s erratic behaviour has left the White House’s strategy unclear and leaders questioning his ability to make important decisions for the country while undergoing treatment for COVID-19. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Wednesday that Trump had made a “terrible mistake” in halting negotiations between the two sides, adding that his approach to announcing the decision without informing the Democrats “insulted the Constitution of the United States”. While criticizing the White House for emerging as a hotspot for the coronavirus outbreak, she expressed concern that Trump’s medications might be affecting his thinking, but said that his behaviour of engaging in “denial, delay and distortion” was “true to form”.
Trump’s Return from Walter Reed Throws White House Into Chaos
Even as the White House struggles to deal with the increasing number of coronavirus cases within its own premises, Trump has continued to downplay the severity of the virus.
October 8, 2020
SOURCE: FINANCIAL TIMES/AP