The Donald's Deception
Never ask a woman her age. Never ask a man his salary. Never ask Donald Trump who was President during COVID.
Lies have become synonymous with the Trump administration, and the Donald’s latest falsehoods revolve around his COVID policy. Of course, revisionist history is a hallmark of authoritarian dictators, which Mr. Trump is so obsessed with. One wonders if he received helpful pointers on the topic from Kim Jong Un in the famous "love letters" they exchanged. Despite having typically been reserved for the media and Democrats, his deception is now being propagated to his MAGA faithful, who seem completely oblivious or apathetic.
Mr. Trump recently held a rally in South Dakota with the affable Governor Kristi Noem, whose endorsement he was able to secure. Many seemed perplexed at his appearance in the reliably red state, as its primary comes far later in the election cycle. There is a very simple explanation for his appearance. Mr. Trump, despite the typical Republican disdain for identity politics, is all about the image and the optics. The brand if you will.
He cares so much about image that he ruled John Bolton out of contention for the important position of Secretary of State simply because he didn't like his mustache. His penchant for the optics was exemplified upon the death of Ruth Bader Ginsburg, as the President stated the seat would be filled by a “talented, very brave woman.” "I think it should be a woman," Mr. Trump said, "because I actually like women much more than men."
Of course, to clean up his reputation as a chauvinist, Mr. Trump is extending the same policy to his running mate in order to win back those suburban women whose support he eroded in 2020. As if it almost correlates to his visit, Mrs. Noem hinted recently that she would be open to being his running mate. "Absolutely. I would in a heartbeat," Mrs. Noem said, stating that "a strong partner” is needed to take back the White House.
Frequent media interviews, a slew of ads on Fox News, and hitching her wagon to Mr. Trump so early, clearly indicate her intention of bolstering her name recognition and flaunting her friendly personality in order to position herself as Mr. Trump's new running mate. Of course, given how Mr. Trump’s voiced his support for hanging the last Vice President of his, there are some simple ground rules that the ‘new one’ no doubt needs to follow.
Blind loyalty to him, of course. The Constitution he swore to uphold is clearly more of 'guidelines' than actual rules to him. She demonstrated her loyalty, asking other contenders why they are running when: “The fact is, none of them can win as long as Trump’s in the race…so why run if you can’t win?” she asked on Fox. Another rule would be that Mrs. Noem can never outshine Mr. Trump, which is easy since she doesn't have any of his narcissism or obsession with social media. And lastly, the adherence to 'alternative facts'..
Mrs. Noem took to the podium after endorsing Mr. Trump and proceeded to make baseless claims about the other Republican candidates. She stated, “I haven't seen these other candidates fight when it really mattered, when it was hard to do the right thing for our country.” She asked, “Where were they when the pandemic was raging? When leaders were taking away people's constitutional rights?” She charged them with “locking down their own people, pushing mandates, closing beaches, and even arresting people for taking spring break.”
Of course, Mrs. Noem, there is just one glaring problem with this indictment of the other candidates. Because, like so many indictments recently, this indictment is actually targeted at Trump himself. When Brian Kemp opened his state early, as he recalled in an article for The Wall Street Journal, he faced fierce pushback from Mr. Trump.
"Look, the national media's all over me about letting you do this," the President stated, on a phone call with the Georgia Governor. "And they're saying you don't meet whatever."
Mr. Kemp replied that "You've been saying the whole pandemic you trust the governors because we're closest to the people. Just tell them you may not like what I'm doing...but I'll take the heat."
"Well, see what you can do," the president said. "Hair salons aren't essential and bowling alleys; tattoo parlors aren't essential.” This is even though a core tenet of the Republican Party has been to advocate and champion small businesses, not to write them off as 'unessential,' a point that was made by the governor.
"With all due respect, those are our people," Mr. Kemp said in reply. "They're the people that elected us. They're the people that are wondering who's fighting for them. We're fixin' to lose them over this because they're about to lose everything. They are not going to sit in their basement and lose everything they got over a virus.”
Later, at a White House briefing, Mr. Trump stated, 'I think it's too soon.' Three years later, he would shower Mrs. Noem with praise for her conduct during the pandemic. 'Unlike other governors, she never locked down South Dakota,' Mr. Trump said. 'They all say, "Oh, I kept it open, I kept it open." They didn't keep it open.' Georgians did not seem to have this selective memory. Mr. Kemp was reelected by almost eight percentage points last fall. Mr. Trump lost Georgia in his reelection bid.
As for Mrs. Noem's ludicrous allegations that the other candidates propagated lockdowns, this point is rendered even more absurd given the presence of Governor Ron DeSantis in the race. How did DeSantis seemingly become a household name, win reelection by twenty points, and garner a dedicated following? Because he did not subject Florida to any COVID shutdowns, despite pressure from then-President Trump. Although now, in 2023, Mr. Trump wants to criticize Mr. DeSantis, saying, “Florida was actually closed, for a great, long period of time… remember, he closed the beaches and everything else? They're trying to rewrite history.”
This is clear projection. He and Mrs. Noem are the ones rewriting history. Mr. DeSantis received plaudits from across the aisle for how he handled COVID. It is what made him such an appealing contender that speculation about a potential candidacy originated all the way back in 2021. Mr. Trump's insistence on lying is from a position of insecurity. He knows Mr. DeSantis has outdone him on this issue, which happened to be very important to many people. The 'DeSantis model' of telling Dr. Fauci to 'pound sand' garnered an appeal with many sects of the Republican party.
Why does Mr. Trump continue to peddle this falsehood? Most narcissists completely lack accountability for anything they've done and instead use shift blame to get the focus away from themselves. 'It's Fauci's fault!' until you ponder who elevated Dr. Fauci to a position of authority on COVID. 'It's my wife's fault that Oz lost!' until you ponder who endorsed Dr. Oz for the Pennsylvania senate seat. 'The FBI is corrupt and apart of the swamp!' until you ponder who appointed Christopher Wray FBI director. In typical Trump fashion, he blames Chris Christie, another primary rival, for recommending Mr. Wray to head the bureau.
Does it not disturb people that Mr. Trump, who wants to cast himself as a decisive leader and once again assume the mantle of the most powerful office in the world, dissolves himself of any accountability for actions he took? Harry Truman, in describing the Presidency, popularized the phrase that 'The buck stops here.'
And yet he still enjoys a big lead in the polls, despite all the lies. Of course, he will never admit nor allow himself to be called out on these false truths. It's why he avoids media interviews, unless the hosts throw softballs, and why he didn't attend the Republican debate. He couldn't bear the idea of confrontation from the same people he's been chastising for his mistakes. And yet they'll always be his mistakes. President George W. Bush said the reason the oval office is round is because there are no corners for the President to hide in.
It is a sad commentary on the state of American politics that a man who lies so brazenly and consistently can still be considered a viable Republican candidate for the highest office in the land. Particularly given the severity of his blunders regarding COVID. As these damaging lockdowns showed, the presidency is not a game, and that the person who occupies that office has the power to make decisions that affect us all, for better or for worse. Republicans must be careful who we choose to lead our party, and we must demand accountability from our elected officials. This revisionism is a warning of what another four years of Trump would look like.