Money or People's Lives

Yesterday, Donald Trump revealed what we've long suspected — he thinks money is more important than people's lives. During a media question-and-answer, Trump showed signs that he was increasingly frustrated with the current nationwide shutdown and was contemplating ending it (details here and here).

This is insane.

When the shutdown began on Monday, March 16, there were approximately 4,500 confirmed coronavirus cases in the United States. Yesterday, the number passed 46,000, indicating a ten-fold increase in one week. The number of deaths during that same time went from 86 to 553.

When the original shutdown period expires next Monday, the number of confirmed cases will be nearing a half million while the number of deaths will exceed 5,000.

In response to Trump's leanings, public health and medical experts are howling with outrage. Ending the shutdown too soon would mean the coronavirus "would spread widely, rapidly, terribly, could kill potentially millions in the year ahead with huge social and economic impact across the country." (Source here.)

Yet Trump thinks he knows better than the health and medical experts. He's relying on his "gut" instead.

There is no easy end to this situation. Trump's attempt to force one could well be catastrophic and make the tragedy far worse than it already is.