MAGA’s delusional narrative: blaming COVID for Trump’s failures while ignoring his incompetent response

Last week, I posted a meme (below) that received a strong response from the MAGA crowd. Their replies lacked substance—filled with insults, snarky comments, and ad hominem attacks. However, buried within a few of those jabs was an excuse for Trump’s epic failures: the claim that COVID was to blame and the absurd idea that what happened wasn’t his fault. In this post, I will outline just some of the ways Trump failed, why his incompetent response cost us countless lives and an immeasurable amount of wealth. I won’t delve into how the Biden-Harris administration’s response has been nothing short of remarkable—you can read about their economic achievements here.

 

First, let me provide a summary for those who don’t want to read the full article:

• Downplayed the severity of COVID-19, referring to it as a “hoax” and contradicting public health experts.
• Failed to implement a coordinated national strategy for testing and contact tracing.
• Disbanded the White House pandemic response team in 2018, weakening pandemic preparedness.
• Did not coordinate an effective response to PPE shortages, leading to endangerment of healthcare workers and the public.
• Delayed strict travel restrictions and quarantine measures, allowing the virus to spread unchecked.
• Forced the Federal Reserve to take drastic monetary actions due to lack of public health response, contributing to inflation.
• Failed to provide adequate support and guidance to state and local governments, causing resource competition and inefficiencies.
• Undermined public confidence in science, mask-wearing, and social distancing, leading to higher transmission rates.
• Promoted unproven treatments and spread misinformation, undermining public trust in medical advice.
• Repeatedly downplayed the importance of masks despite evidence supporting their effectiveness.
• Contributed to prolonged lockdowns and economic downturn, leading to massive job losses and business closures.
• Promoted xenophobia and racism against immigrants, who were essential workers during the pandemic.

“By failing to effectively control the virus, Trump’s economy favored the wealthy at the expense of lower-paid service workers employed by hotels, restaurants, hairdressers, and other businesses requiring face-to-face contact.” – Catherine Thorbecke

 

Trump was a Colossal Failure

Donald Trump’s mishandling of the COVID-19 crisis led to unnecessary job losses, loss of lives, and economic damage. From the start, Trump downplayed the severity of the virus, referred to reasoned responses as a “hoax” and repeatedly contradicted public health experts. His administration failed to implement a coordinated national strategy for testing and contact tracing, which could have helped contain the virus early on. Instead, states were left to fend for themselves, leading to a patchwork of responses that allowed the virus to spread unchecked.

Trump was responsible for hobbling pandemic preparedness at the federal level, particularly concerning masks and other critical supplies. The disbanding of the White House pandemic response team in 2018, coupled with a failure to address the growing shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE) despite prior warnings, left the country ill-prepared for a public health crisis. This lack of coordination forced states to compete for essential resources like PPE, ventilators, and testing supplies, leading to confusion, inefficiencies, and unequal distribution, especially in poorer communities. The slow federal response and inadequate guidance resulted in severe shortages, endangering healthcare workers and the general public, and contributed to the virus’s unchecked spread. A more coordinated and better-stocked federal response could have significantly mitigated COVID-19’s impact, saving more lives and reducing economic disruption.

Trump initially hesitated to implement strict travel restrictions and quarantine measures from countries with high infection rates. When finally enacted, the travel ban was incomplete, allowing thousands of potentially infected travelers to enter the U.S. without proper screening. This delay enabled the virus to spread more widely, increasing cases and deaths. More decisive action could have significantly reduced the initial surge of COVID-19, easing the strain on healthcare systems and lessening the economic impact of subsequent lockdowns.

Trump’s failure to provide a coordinated public health response during the initial outbreak forced the Federal Reserve into unprecedented monetary interventions by late March 2020. The Fed slashed interest rates to near-zero and launched massive asset purchase programs, injecting trillions into the economy to stabilize financial markets. This influx of capital, though necessary to avert total collapse, contributed to the high inflation rates we face today—a consequence now misleadingly blamed on Biden by right-wing propaganda.

Had the Trump administration acted swiftly with a unified public health strategy, the economic fallout could have been minimized, reducing the need for such drastic monetary policies and preventing prolonged inflation. While Biden is irrationally blamed for these economic challenges, his Inflation Reduction Act has actually helped curb inflation and align wage growth with rising costs. The MAGA base rages against this truth, radicalized by right-wing media and their loyalty to a leader who betrayed public trust.

Trump also undermined public confidence in science and health measures like mask-wearing and social distancing, which could have reduced transmission rates. His mismanagement contributed directly to the U.S. having one of the highest COVID-19 death rates among developed nations. Instead of promoting effective safety measures, he downplayed the virus, prioritizing the comfort of his wealthy allies over American lives.

Economically, Trump’s incoherent response led to prolonged lockdowns, widespread job losses, and the permanent closure of many small businesses, costing the nation trillions in lost productivity and emergency measures. How much better could the outcome have been with competent leadership? What if we had a president who valued science, avoided financial scandal, and focused on public service rather than personal gain? We’ll never know the full extent of what a more prepared administration could have saved in both lives and economic stability.

Trump repeatedly promoted unproven treatments, such as hydroxychloroquine, and made unfounded claims about potential cures, which misled the public and undermined trust in medical professionals and health institutions. This dissemination of misinformation caused confusion and led some people to ignore established public health advice, contributing to higher infection rates and deaths. Furthermore, his mixed messaging created distrust in vaccines and public health measures, which continues to impact vaccination rates and public compliance with health guidelines, prolonging the economic and social consequences of the pandemic.

Scientific evidence strongly supports the effectiveness of masks in reducing the transmission of COVID-19. Masks are effective at blocking respiratory droplets that carry the virus, significantly reducing the spread, especially in public settings where social distancing is challenging. However, Trump repeatedly downplayed the use of masks, dismissing their necessity despite CDC recommendations. His reluctance was mirrored by right-wing media outlets that also downplayed mask usage, framing it as unnecessary or even harmful. Some argue that this downplaying was a deliberate attempt to maintain a sense of normalcy, encouraging people to continue shopping, dining, and engaging in public activities to prioritize portfolio returns for the greedy billionaires at the top.

Even after the worst of the pandemic, a science-oriented leader would have continued to advocate for masks in public to prevent further outbreaks. Instead, right-wing media, influenced by billionaire interests, pushed an anti-mask narrative, prioritizing economic activity over public health. This stance served the interests of those who profit from consumerism and fossil fuel use, disregarding the health and well-being of their audience in favor of maintaining appearances of normalcy.

In contrast, countries that implemented decisive early actions and clear communication suffered fewer deaths and less economic disruption relative to their population sizes. Trump’s incompetence turned what could have been a more contained health crisis into a prolonged national tragedy, costing more jobs, lives, and money than was necessary. Unfortunately, we can’t go back and relive the pandemic with a competent leader in the White House, but we can make sure that Captain Incompetent never steps foot in there again. And sadly, none of this will reach MAGA supporters reading it, as they’ve been radicalized by Trump and the billionaires who use them as pawns to reject reality and serve their overlords’ needs: low taxes for the rich. Trump 2024!

It’s worth noting that during this entire time, immigrants were working tirelessly on farms across America, securing our food supply and ensuring there was food on our tables. Meanwhile, Trump continued his campaign of xenophobia, ignorance, intolerance, and racism against them to try to win an election by exploiting people’s fears. He used intolerance and hatred as weapons, making us all worse off as a society.

 

Sources:

1. The Atlantic: Yong, Ed. (2020, September). How the Pandemic Defeated America.
2. The New York Times: Sanger, D. E., Lipton… (2020, April 11). He Could Have Seen What Was Coming: Behind Trump’s Failure on the Virus.
3. The New York Times: Shear, Weiland, Lipton, Haberman, and Sanger (2020, July 18). Inside Trump’s Failure: The Rush to Abandon Leadership Role on the Virus.
4. The Lancet: Horton, R. (2020). Offline: COVID-19 and the NHS—“a national scandal”.
5. Brookings Institution: Bauer, Broady, Edelberg, and O’Donnell (2020). Ten facts about COVID-19 and the U.S. economy.
6. NPR: Kaste, Martin (2020). If Critical Supplies Run Out, Here’s How Hospitals Will Make Tough Choices.
7. World Health Organization
8. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI): (2022, March 29). The Trump Administration and the COVID?19 crisis: Exploring the warning response problems and missed opportunities of a public health emergency.
9. National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI): (2023). Effectiveness of face masks for reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2: a rapid systematic review.
10. BBC: (2020, November 3). US 2020 election: The economy under Trump in six charts.
11. NBC News: Dilanian, Martinez, Enright, McCausland, and Muccari. (2020, March 17) Timeline: Trump administration’s response to coronavirus.