Trump initially called the virus (or maybe the concern over the virus) a hoax, then repeatedly downplayed the importance of the virus. Then, on 17 March 2020 - “I’ve always known this is a real—this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic … I’ve always viewed it as very serious.” Trump said that insurance companies would cover treatment, but they only cover testing. Trump claimed Google was working on a site with information about screening and testing, which, at the time, was news to Google. On 11 March, he claimed that all travel, trade and cargo from Europe was being banned. But whoops, not trade and cargo, but also on 12 March, all people arriving from Europe would get tested (but I thought they were banned), and, in reality no one is being tested. He's also claimed that his response was better than Obama's response to H1N1, when it took Trump 5 weeks longer to declare an emergency and take action, and, obviously, fewer people died from H1N1. He's directed people to treatments that don't work and it's cost at least one person their life from poisoning. He's also claimed that the economic downturn will cause more suicides than the virus, which is preposterous.

no

Now he's in the process of releasing a memo to governors telling them to cool it on lockdowns and social distancing. This could potentially be the worst mistake in the history of modern medicine.

I doubt it.

I think he may be permanently high on the fumes of his Fake Tan.

Well, he hasn't been fired yet...

It's how that brand of populist politics works. These people in the US and Europe are incompetent politicians, but good marketers. It's why they are hopeless at what they do, but are very good at swaying people into following them regardless. There needs to be a seperation of business and state, similar to church and state.