Trump and the Coronavirus: The Triumph of Incompetence

ABSTRACT

The coronavirus pandemic was the most severe crisis of the Trump administration, and the worst health care crisis in a century. The focus of this chapter is how and why the United States, a country blessed with enormous wealth and scientific expertise, failed so spectacularly and was crippled by the outbreak. It focuses on the incompetence and mistakes of the Trump administration, its delayed response, and the culture of denial and dismissal of science and expertise that abetted the virus's spread. At every turn, Trump and his staff missed opportunities, blamed others, spread false and contradictory information, and failed to take necessary steps to contain its spread. The result was a catastrophic rise in infections that has left half a million Americans dead and 30 million infected. The crisis led to a severe economic downturn and Trump's loss in the 2020 election. The conclusion summarizes the policy failures and what might have been done differently. © The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG 2022.