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It was close — for liberals, too close. And that closeness is reflective of an uncomfortable truth: had Trump done just a few things differently, he really would have won. And in particular, if Trump had stopped trying to wish away the pandemic, and started leading us through it, we’d quite likely have a second Trump term today.
American voters are not as fickle as the horserace polling outfits seem to imply they are. They tend not to change their minds except in reaction to big things, and many of those big things, from pandemics to recessions to wars and scandals, are often out of a president’s control.
But what can a president control? Often, it’s their response to these huge events: their speeches, their leadership style, their ability to connect with their citizens as they go through the upending historical experiences each presidency sees. These responses can transform them into a national hero — or a national zero.
On COVID-19, Trump did the latter.
With the pandemic, he was handed an opportunity to rise to the occasion on a silver platter — and he blew it with toxic positivity.
“Don’t let it dominate your life”
Trump had a few moments where he began to look heroic during COVID. He banned travel to and from China on January 30. His…
