I don't think any US administration could have stopped the coronavirus pandemic that's about to happen. 1/
But most past administrations--even Republican ones--would not have put re-election and manipulating the stock market as the primary policy priority. 2/
Most past administrations would have had clear, honest and useful advice from executive departments about how to assess the danger and prepare for the impact of coronavirus. Rather than incompetent flunkies and lower-level civil servants terrified of the President's rage. 3/
We're about to see what happens when an incompetent narcissistic scumbag aspiring to authoritarianism runs straight into the kind of challenge that requires competency, expertise, leadership and an actual concern for the safety and health of human beings. 4/
It's not going to be pretty. Trump has already broken important international institutions important for coordinating a response and underfunded and bullied US agencies important for coordinating a response. 5/
None of the guiding principles required for an effective response to a public health crisis are present in Trump's administration or in his own pathologically self-interested reaction to any problem. This would never have been good, but it's going to be very bad.
