Even as Donald Trump's campaign has canceled a bus tour due to coronavirus concerns, and four Republican congressmen who attended CPAC are under quarantine, the entire country of Italy has been locked down, and dozens of senior Iranian political figures are sick and several have died, Trump himself is trying to downplay the outbreak. Crazily, he still plans to hold large campaign rallies, even as members of his own party have been exposed to the disease.
His CDC advisors advocated for telling the elderly to not to travel, but Trump refused to do so.
Why? Partly because he wants to pretend that everyone is just fine and life should go on as always so that the economy doesn't tank. The stock market is taking a huge dive, and Trump has been taking credit for the meteoric rise. Now that it's crashing Trump is blaming everyone else, but his lies and deceptions about the outbreak aren't fooling the market -- they're making it worse because this is a problem he can't brag or lie his way out of.
But, again, Trump has tremendous conflicts of interest. He owns or has stakes in many businesses involved in luxury tourism -- hotels, golf courses, etc. If everyone stays home for the spring break vacation season, Trump stands to lose a ton of money.
If Trump cancels his campaign rallies he'll miss out on boatloads of cash these events generate.
What if one of those mouthfoaming conservatives attending a Trump rally has the virus and gives it to everyone there? What if an infectious traveler -- a typhoid Mary that doesn't show any symptoms -- stays at a Trump hotel and all those rich Republicans trying to ingratiate themselves with Donnie are infected?
Trump's greed, selfishness and narcissism are going to get someone killed.
Hmm. Maybe that's why he put Pence in charge of the epidemic response. What do you want to bet that when it blows up in Trump's face, he'll blame it all on Pence, and kick the VP off the ticket?
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