Commentary: Trump, GOP are battling scientists not the pandemic

Austin American-Statesman (TX)

President Donald Trump isn't just whistling past the graveyard, he's whistling past the refrigerated trucks being brought into Texas, Florida and Arizona where the coronavirus is spreading like wildfire and morgues are filling up.

South Texas hospitals are so full that they've had to send patients over 100 miles to find a hospital that had room for them.

Hidalgo County Judge Richard Cortez warned, "The tsunami is here." Ambulances are waiting up to 10 hours to deliver patients.

But Trump doesn't deal with that grim reality, he's only interested in how the pandemic affects his reelection.

Trump struggles to paint a rosy picture of his leadership during this pandemic because his response has been an utter failure.

If we had a coordinated plan driven by science not politics, the U.S. wouldn't have the highest number of cases and deaths worldwide: 3.9 million cases and 140,000 deaths.

People also wouldn't have to wait in line for hours for a test and then wait days for results. Health care workers wouldn't be told to reuse their personal protective equipment five months into the pandemic, and doctors wouldn't fear treatment shortages.

In order for Trump to pull off the charade that he's done a great job, he must eliminate and attack anyone that disrupts his false narrative.

Enter Dr. Anthony Fauci, our nation's top infectious disease expert. Every time Dr. Fauci speaks truth, you could feel the nation hold its collective breath.

Would that be the last time we hear from Dr. Fauci? Just how long would Trump allow facts to undermine his fantasy response?

The public has seen less and less of Dr. Fauci, and recently Trump and his henchmen began a full-blown attack on him.

Dealing with scientists must be so frustrating for Trump. They spout facts quicker than he can slap them down.

Last Friday, Dr. Fauci urged state and local leaders to be as "forceful as possible" on masks, stressing it's one of the most important steps to reopening the country.

Two days later, Trump said he's against a mask mandate because he wants people "to have a certain freedom."

Everyone wants people to have freedom, especially "freedom to live" and when you wear a mask you're not only protecting yourself, you're protecting the lives of others.

Most Republicans do Trump's bidding, but Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp is going the extra mile because he's suing Atlanta's mayor for mandating masks in her city as cases rise.

Trump's mask aversion must be that it's a physical reminder that "all is not well."

Trump's administration has tried to sideline or alter CDC guidelines because its "overly prescriptive." Which is shorthand for they don't fit Trump's narrative.

Recently, health experts were alarmed that the Trump administration is ordering hospitals to bypass the CDC and report COVID-19 data directly to the White House.

Last Wednesday their fears were realized, the CDC pages that tracked how many hospital beds in the country are occupied by COVID-19 patients disappeared.

Don't be surprised if you see a report written in Sharpie claiming, "Trump is doing a terrific job with the pandemic!"

Recently a senior Trump adviser sent an email to the CDC director accusing them of "undermining the President" by putting out a report about the potential risks of the coronavirus to pregnant women.

Once again, the Trump's response to the pandemic has nothing to do with public safety, but is solely about how it reflects on him.

If only Trump and his allies would put their energy toward following scientists' advice instead of undermining it, we could find our way out of this nightmare.

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