Donald Trump lied to the American people about a global pandemic. He then designed and enacted policy around what he knew to be lies.
There was a time when those sentences could be read as conjecture, but that time has passed. It was confirmed the POTUS not only knew exactly how dangerous the pandemic is, but that he was aware it was easily transmitted and that he intentionally chose to mislead the public about it.
He instructed states to do what was appropriate for a minor infectious disease, not the major one he knew they were dealing with.
Trump instructed that schools be opened. He stated that masks were not needed. He framed the pandemic as an attack on freedoms. He called the pandemic a hoax perpetrated by Democrats.
But during a Feb 7 phone call Trump stated:
"You just breathe the air and that's how it's passed. That's a very tricky one. That's a very delicate one. It's also more deadly than even your strenuous flus. This is deadly stuff."
In March Trump confessed:
"To be honest with you, I always wanted to play it down. I still like playing it down because I don't want to create a panic."
When audio clips of the above statements were released and authenticated, people were rightfully horrified.
But Trump ride or die pundit Fox & Friends Steve Doocy has a different take on the situation.
Rather than being appalled by the President's actions, Doocy chose to celebrate them. According to him, lying and enacting policy Trump knew was unsafe is akin to FDR delivering his "fireside chats" to comfort the public and help instill calm during times of crisis.
Doocy's hot take hit Twitter almost instantly.
Let's just say that a fair number of people disagree with Doocy's thoughts on the matter.
The biggest point of contention most people have with this comparison is that FDR took a "these are the dire facts" approach, similar to what Governor Cuomo did in New York. People may not have liked it, but they could make informed decisions.
Trump, on the other hand, opted to deny and downplay data and spin a real crisis as a hoax to feed his base. In doing so, he robbed people of their ability to properly prepare and take action.
And people aren't feeling warm and fuzzy over it.
