Trump's denial will seal his demise

God does not look favourably upon Donald Trump. 

How else to explain his imminent downfall? He was on a clear road to re-election victory until the arrival of a once-in-a-hundred-year virus. It’s like getting struck by lightning on a sunny day. 

For those who thought he was God’s unwitting agent of all that is good, may this belief finally be put to rest. Unless another act of God is in the offing, or more likely, malfeasance on the part of Republicans, I do believe Trump will lose Tuesday’s election (fingers crossed, knock on wood, hang that horseshoe). 

And here he was doing so well! Sure, he was investigated by his own Justice Department, impeached by the House of Representatives, and found wanting on almost every ground of moral merit. But he survived it all. If anything, he emerged stronger. 

The economy was humming. Liberal Supreme Court Justices were falling like flies. Democrats were flirting with a self-declared socialist for leader. Everything was coming together for Donald Trump, Act II. 

Until the virus. Until this seemingly divine retribution. If it were Hillary Clinton as president, American religious leaders would have been screaming: “You brought this on us!” Instead, they continued to back a president down a dangerous path of denial and disinformation. 

It didn’t have to be this way. One has only to look at Canadian leaders to see how a time of crisis can be handled with broad public support. Three provincial elections were called this fall, and in all three, the incumbents won with a larger share of the vote than what they previously held. 

One has only to look at Doug Ford in Ontario to see how even leaders on the right – where skepticism of the virus and lockdowns is greatest – can rise up to the challenge. He did this by acting rational; by seeking solutions and showing concern. Much like 9/11 turned the tide for George Bush’s flailing presidency, covid-19 gave Ford new purpose. 

Trump had only to try – just a little – to be concerned about others. To tear himself apart – just a little – from his base’s libertarian instincts. To act – just a little – normal. 

I understand, this is asking a lot of the man. He would have had to undergo a transformation of Darth Vader-like magnitude. But at the of risk of alienating some of his most radical support, he could have gained so much more; and most importantly, saved so many lives. 

Instead, he denied the virus’s threat: “This is like a flu.” He shifted the blame: “It’s China’s fault!” And today, with caseloads higher than ever, he contests reality: “We’re rounding the turn!” 

One would have thought his own bout with the virus would have allowed for a moment of introspection. If ever he had the opportunity to garner public sympathy – to relate with the broader public’s fears – it was then. Instead, he returned from the hospital like a Marvel comic superhero. While standing on the balcony of the White House, wind blowing through his flowing blond hair, all he needed was a cape. 

But by trying to appear superhuman he became even more unrelatable. Never mind that superheroes don’t need to be attended to by a fleet of doctors, nor injected with experimental drugs (whatever those were). Real heroes also wear a mask. 

“It’s ending anyway,” he said at one of his covid super-spreader rallies this week. 

The fact is, his term is ending (fingers crossed, knock on wood, hang that horseshoe). The pandemic is not.