Cartoon: Trump’s Crisis Strategy

Since the beginning of the pandemic, President Donald Trump has repeatedly made bold claims that COVID-19 will disappear or simply “go away.” On Tuesday—when the United States crossed the grim threshold of losing more than 200,000 Americans to the novel coronavirus—top infectious-disease specialist Dr. Anthony Fauci warned it may be difficult to keep spread under control as winter draws closer.

When it comes to climate change, Trump has made similar statements minimizing the significance of the crisis. During a meeting discussing the California wildfires earlier this month, Trump told California Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot: “It’ll just start getting cooler, you just watch.”

Trump’s strategy tackling the deep existential threats facing the world is nothing if not consistent. Instead of taking responsibility for American lives and relying on experts to steer the country’s response, the president instead makes bold claims that these crises will—just magically—go away of their own accord.

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