Letter to the Editor: Trump did not panic
President Trump and the COVID-19 pandemic:
Like a parent with a wounded child, the President could address the problem hysterically, instilling fear and panic.
Or face it calmly, reassuringly, and with the best tools he could find.
President Trump did not panic.
He immediately stopped incoming travel from China and then from other countries to reduce the risk of further contamination.
He assembled teams of medical experts and pharmaceutical companies to identify and find ways to fight this unknown enemy.When it became apparent some states had not stockpiled supplies like they should have, the President put together remarkable private/public cooperative efforts to ramp up production of these products.
How did he know that car companies could make ventilators, or that other companies could switch from their normal products to making masks and PPE?
How did he get competitors like Walmart and Target to coordinate testing sites?
Why did he appoint military units to deal with supply chains and distribution?
How did he get ships moved, thousands of hospital beds provided, medical personnel reassigned to desperate areas?
Why did he hold transparent press conferences, and institute Operation Warp Speed for therapeutics and vaccines?
President Trump’s past business success is due to his ability to identify the needs, and then negotiate, convince, and organize multiple entities to meet a common goal.
You do not soothe a wounded child, or a country facing unknown hazards, by wringing your hands in despair, giving doomsday predictions and dispelling hope.
No, you encourage, commiserate, and find solutions, just as President Trump has done.
Joe Biden is a career politician who never ran a business or even organized a garage sale.
His expertise? Empty promises, glad-handing, schmoozing, kissing babies, and smiling for the camera.
Love President Trump or hate him, tweets or no tweets – actions speak louder than words.
Lynn Desjardin
Portola