The article is the kind of unbridled analysis that goes around the moldy corners of the far right, where all sorts of bizarre, anti-scientific, anti-institution seem to grow like a bacterial culture, defying the immune system of American democracy.
Of course, Trump had to amplify it to his millions of followers.
Once again, Trump straddled urgent public health measures recommended by members of his administration, sending mixed signals for no reasonable purpose.
While the country has split between professional and anti-facemask believers, the President has incredibly emerged as the leader of the anti-government part of the division on adopting a simple measure to slow the pandemic. Refusing to wear a mask is becoming akin to wearing a MAGA hat, a sign of pro-Trump challenge against the establishment, but one that will prolong the crisis, lead to more people dying and make recovery of the economy more difficult.
Wearing masks to prevent a deadly pathogen from spreading to others is the lightest of requests. As the violations of freedom go, this is an affront only to the most tender of snowflakes – or to the most susceptible to lies.
By using his megaphone not to call the country to unity and resolution, but to dilute urgent calls from public health experts, Trump not only helps undermine confidence in the government, but also makes people more reluctant to follow the advice of those who, unlike him, and the authors of most conspiracy theories involving face masks, have dedicated their lives to learning how to stop disease.
Why in the world is Trump pushing Americans not to take a simple precaution? His drive to reopen businesses without reaching security positions can at least be explained as an effort to revive the economy. But masks? His influence there will only cause more deaths, probably hitting his supporters more than others and countering his efforts to bring the country back to normal.
Trump is once again positioning himself as anger, the rebel against the system, even though it is now the system. He is resuming his role in 2016 as a provocative, anti-establishment, politically incorrect character. This time, however, he is working against his own interests. Trump supporters may feel energetic to wear a MAGA hat and push against those who wear masks, but most Americans don’t want to get sick, let alone die.
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