No More Excuses

President Donald Trump has uttered a few quotes that will go down in the annals of political history that will stand besides Patrick Henry’s famous “Give me liberty or give me death” quote. The president’s “I take no responsibility” answer to a reporter’s question over his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic will certainly be one of the strangest. Then again, maybe not. At his last press briefing that some have called “campaign rallies”, President Trump said something that has got to have even his most diehard supporters scratching their heads. The president, in response to probable new treatments to combat the virus, suggested (if that’s the right word?) that doctors “hit” a person’s body with a high UV light of some source to, in effect, kill the virus that is on the inside of them. And speaking right on cue, the president then said as straight faced as one could, about having disinfectants being injected into the body, saying that the virus would be “knocked out” in a minute. The president also has another famous quote, saying at times, “I am not a doctor”, though often times, he tries to talk like one. Nevertheless, the light/disinfectant debacle has put the president in such a position that the industrial companies that sell disinfectants, along with the medical community that study infectious diseases, put out press releases almost immediately warning the public not to listen to the president’s ideas. One of the president’s medical experts on stage said that he “would ask” around about the president’s miracle treatment. It would have been too much for a doctor on stage to simply say to the president, “Sir, that is not appropriate, people will die”. Everyone knows that disinfectants like Lysol can seriously injure or kill an individual if not treated quickly. One would think that the president has to know that.

However true to form, there was pushback from the White House that President Trump’s words were (again and again) being taken out of context by the liberal media. The president for his part said that he was being “sarcastic”, that no one should take him seriously. Not this time, Mr. President. One has to only look at the face of Dr. Deborah Birx and notice her facial expressions as President Trump talked about light and disinfectant treatments, and conclude that the president was serious in that he believed that he “was onto something”. The president, as of press time has not conducted anymore briefings, hoping that if he isn’t seen in the public, he won’t have to answer any questions. But he can still tweet. In his tweets, the president once again (and again) blames everyone/everything for his words/actions, lamenting about “how bad” he is treated, and that no president “has done” as much as he has for the nation since George.

It is one thing for President Trump’s political supporters to stand with him, but it is disheartening when some doctors seem to support the president when they should know better. Dr. Anthony Fauci, who is a leading expert on infectious disease, has slowly distanced himself in supporting President Trump’s views, which is perhaps why he is not at the podium beside the president. Dr. Birx appears to be a different matter. When asked about the president’s disinfectant comments, she reportedly asked why was the “matter” still in the media. It appears that Birx wants to speak for the president in a way that appeases him, rather than speak forcefully against his misguided dangerous words, risking her position in the White House. She knows that President Trump can degrade an individual through angry tweets and a dismissal if they cross him. Right now, she, not VP Pence is the face and voice for the president when he puts his foot in his mouth. The president can’t run behind his twitter feed forever. Integrity means so much to an individual. One way to maintain your integrity or hang onto what’s left, is to stop making excuses. Remember, the world is watching. So is God.