Before Iran, there was Covid: Trump falls apart in a crisis

[mcar]

https://presswatchers.org/2026/03/before-iran-there-was-covid-trump-falls-apart-in-a-crisis/

Trump’s first term as president has been so utterly eclipsed by the savagery of his second one that many people may have forgotten his deadly, abysmal mismanagement of the Covid pandemic. He delayed testing, mocked mask-wearing, spread conspiracy theories, undermined the work of scientists, and held campaign rallies that spread the virus. By one estimate, 58,000 Americans died because of his negligence — and maybe a lot more.

But if you do look back at that period — particularly the spring and summer of 2020 — a lot of the ways that Trump is approaching the war he started in Iran are incredibly familiar. (And so, although to a lesser extent, is the press coverage.)...

Trump’s first term as president has been so utterly eclipsed by the savagery of his second one that many people may have forgotten his deadly, abysmal mismanagement of the Covid pandemic. He delayed testing, mocked mask-wearing, spread conspiracy theories, undermined the work of scientists, and held campaign rallies that spread the virus. By one estimate, 58,000 Americans died because of his negligence — and maybe a lot more.

But if you do look back at that period — particularly the spring and summer of 2020 — a lot of the ways that Trump is approaching the war he started in Iran are incredibly familiar. (And so, although to a lesser extent, is the press coverage.)

[no_hypocrisy]

1. "They were careless people, Tom and Daisy- they smashed up things and creatures

and then retreated back into their money or their vast carelessness or whatever it was that kept them together, and let other people clean up the mess they had made.”

[mcar]

3. I think of that line often these days

[no_hypocrisy]

7. Like Sinclair Lewis, Fitzgerald was a keen observer and prescient.

[Native]

2. and he's a fucking idiot

[mcar]

4. I'm sure Jake Tapper is busy writing his latest book

about this president's mental decline.

[Native]

12. Touche

[mcar]

13. Never forgive, never forget

[dsc]

5. I will admit, that I thought at the start of COVID, well he is a germophobe so he will handle this as

well as he could. I will admit I was so wrong. So, so wrong. I will go to my grave not getting that.

[Maru Kitteh]

9. He's not a germaphobe, he just dislikes touching poor people

Have you ever seen him hesitate to hug or touch anyone with even a little power or money? Nope.

[Baitball Blogger]

6. But he created this crisis.

[mcar]

8. That is what the piece says

However, there are similarities in the way he is handling it. From the article:

"Trump’s handling of the Iran crisis is even more condemnable than his handling of Covid – because he caused this one. He’s guilty of starting this war as well as bungling it.

But consider the similarities:

He launched the war with no discernible plan. His goals and his strategy change from minute to minute.

He keeps on peddling false hope and predicting a quick end. “This is a short excursion,” he said on March 7. “It’s going to be ended soon… it’s going to be finished pretty quickly,” he said on March 9. “This war has been won. The only one that likes to keep it going is the fake news,” he said on March 24..."

[Dlpger61]

10. Democrats Biggest Problem

The DNC and all democrats running for office in 2024, should have ran ads 24 hours a day reminding the American public about COVID-19 and the incompetence of Trump. Their failure to do so is one of the main reasons we are in this mess.

[mcar]

11. You're replying to my OP about Trump's incompetence by slamming Democrats?

Cool.