The Huffington Post reported last week, ” in an interview with right-wing media personality Candace Owens; Trump took personal credit for the efficacy of the vaccines, as well as the “incredible speed” at which they were developed.” Throughout his term as president, Trump became a master at taking credit for the accomplishments of others. He also became an expert and blamed others for his blunders, often and often. He lied to Americans about the dangers of COVID and was unprepared to manage a pandemic crisis, which is part of a president’s job. He shut down the department in the federal government that is responsible for effectively respond to pandemics.
COVID pandemic spiraled out of control in the U.S. in March of 2019 partly due to the lies Donald Trump’s told to the public about its deadly nature. He told Americans, “it was just like the flu and would disappear in the Spring when the weather got hot.” He encouraged people to gather in churches for Easter and downplayed masks for protection. By the time the scientific and pharmaceutical companies began manufacturing and testing the vaccines in clinical trials and started coordinating contracts with the federal government, Trump’s pandemic management had become a horrific failure. Tens of thousands of people died, and infection levels climbed in every state. Agreeing to fund the vaccine development effort was a non-negotiable expectation of elected officials and most Americans. Trump’s label of Project Warp Speed to the vaccine development process was an ego-driven slogan that Dr. Fauci and other scientists criticized as it weakened the public’s trust in the vaccine’s safety.
In Dec. of 2020, the Washington Post reported, “The vaccine accomplishments are remarkable, but they are not “miracles,” in the sense that they sprang fully formed from work that began in the spring. They relied on basic research done over decades in government, academic and company research labs. Even the financial model used to insulate vaccine makers from financial risk traced back to an agency that Congress created in late 2006 to incentivize companies to develop urgently needed medicines.” Trump was in reality TV star mode, touting the vaccine as a miracle that only he could have accomplished. In an article published in the Independent in 2020, Trump said, “I hope everyone remembers when they’re getting the COVID-19… vaccine, that if I wasn’t president, you wouldn’t be getting that beautiful ‘shot’ for 5 years, at best, and probably wouldn’t be getting it at all. I hope everyone remembers!”
Those are the kind of cringe-worthy statements that reveals Trump suffers from severe narcissism. He needs constant attention and validation, which explains why he held super-spreader rallies despite the risk of a COVID infection spread. The narcissism explains why he constantly boasts about his money, power, and imagined expertise in all subjects. Instead of taking credit for ” coming up with the virus,” he could have said, “with the generous funding my administration provided, the scientists and pharmaceutical companies applied decades of established science to develop a COVID-19 vaccine. I thank them for their expertise, diligence, and dedication.” His rhetoric about how the liberal media exaggerated the danger of the virus was contrary to his enthusiasm for developing the vaccine. However, Trump saw political value in achieving the expedited vaccine breakthrough, which motivated him to support the manufacturing and purchasing of the shots completely. This is the only example of Trump’s narcissism helping instead of harming people.
President Joe Biden routinely uses the pronoun “WE” when describing legislative accomplishments since he took office. Donald Trump uses the pronoun “I,” often taking full credit for actions that he either had little to do with or resulted from the strenuous efforts of teams of people, governmental departments, or random trends. Unfortunately, Trump voters either don’t understand what a dangerous trait narcissism is for a person with the extraordinary powers of the presidency or don, ‘t care. A president is elected to serve the American people and the Constitution. Narcissists cannot set aside their self-interests and prioritize other people’s needs or causes. The narcissist decides what actions to take based on how they feel and how decisions affect them.
Trump’s marketing of Project Warp Speed gave him the accolades he needed to offset the failure of his anemic efforts to mitigate the devastating spread of the virus. Fox News media performer Lara Logan referred to Dr. Fauci as Holocaust murderer Dr. Mengele who killed thousands of Jews at Auschwitz. To please Trump, whose pathological jealousy of Fauci is transparent and humiliating, the right-wing media is spreading disinformation about real heroes, while elevating clowns and criminals to positions of esteemed authority. Americans are becoming increasingly skeptical about Trump’s character and his lack of commitment to traditional, constitutional democracy. His hypocrisy has become blatant. One day he is touting the use of the vaccines, and at the same time supporting Republican governors and GOP members of congress who oppose vaccine mandates which have proven to reduce the spread and death rates.
Be grateful President Biden is not obsessed with popularity or polls when deciding policy. Despite the pandemic, America’s economy grows faster than economies have grown in many decades. Job growth is at around 6 million new jobs, vaccines are free and abundant, and the fight is on by Democrats with Biden’s support to secure a federal voting rights bill. Biden continues to prioritize stopping the virus spread. The unvaccinated should switch their TV channel from Fox to any station that presents facts, not hyperbolic lies.
