Thread by @DrChristineMann

This line from the story: “The media campaign to hold Mr. Trump solely responsible for the harm from Covid-19 is rank political opportunism. Voters should ignore the campaign and judge the whole record.” begs for a response. THREAD wsj.com/articles/woodw…

First of all, you need to hire someone, anyone, with some sort of public health, science, or medical background to stop you when you think about talking about a public health, science, or medical issue. Maybe they could keep you from making fools of yourselves. 2/

Next: nearly 200,000 Americans are dead because of the rank incompetence and maliciousness of this administration. I’m old enough to remember when publications like yours called for heads to roll when 4 Americans were killed in Benghazi. 3/

Acknowledging this does not minimize those who died on foreign soil; but your article brushes past the incredible loss of life in this pandemic that *can absolutely* be traced to this administration. There is no question that they are at fault. 4/

It’s so convenient for you to accuse those of us who know where the blame lies of being political. But the reality is: TRUMP made it political and continues to do so. Your assertion that he was worried about the marketing is absurd on it’s face. Spare us the gaslighting. 5/

Public Health experts, doctors, scientists have been *screaming* about the severity of this disease and the pathetic response by this administration since *at least* March. Some were talking about it in January. The administration ignored them. 6/

Expert after expert from within government and the private sector talked *ad nauseum* about what needed to happen. The medical community was nearly unanimous in calling for widespread SAH orders, coordination of response across the country, testing and contact tracing & more. 7/

The president had the power to make those things happen. He had the authority to enact measures like the War Production Act to make test kits and PPE. He could have liased with governors across the country to immediately redirect equipment when and where needed. 8/

When/if he used these tools, he used them disjointedly and anemicly. There has *still* not been a nationwide coherent and cohesive plan. A hodgepodge of hit and miss initiatives are wholly inadequate to address a pandemic. The responsibility lies with one person: Trump. 9/

Worse, *Trump* made this political. He constantly derides the response in “Democrat” (sic) cities & states & was slow to respond to pleas from the leaders of these states. His disdain for “blue” states is obvious & palpable. So spare us the pearl-clutching about politicizing. 10/

People died, are dying, and will die because of the *willful* malfeasance of this president. He chose this course. He owns it. And you should be ashamed of yourself for this pathetic attempt to excuse it. 11/

I had a patient come in today and she told me that her husband died from COVID. She said that when she dropped him off at the hospital, she had no idea that she’d never see him again. He died without her and she couldn’t be there to hold his hand. 12/

Shame on Trump. Shame on his enablers. Shame on everyone who excuses and props up this terrible excuse for a human being.
Fin/