Open thread: Latest on Trump's COVID infection
The latest from Donald Trump catching the 'rona.
- He's receiving an experimental cocktail of drugs from Regeneron.
- His symptoms seem more than "mild", judging from the dosage of the cocktail he's receiving.
- The White House is offering no further access to Trump's doctor.
- Trump has completely withdrawn from the meetings he had scheduled today.
- Trump's campaign is on hold, moving to a virtual platform.
Some well-meaning but scared people compared Trump's condition to that of Boris Johnson when he contracted the virus. Of course, they're wrong. Johnson had just come off of a crushing electoral victory, and wasn't the vilified figure Trump is. Also, the UK was already rallying around the flag, but not because of Johnson; the heroes of the NHS were the focus of British patriotism, not the government in Westminster. And, of course, although there were some weasel words, the Tory government never dismissed the risks posed by COVID in anywhere the same fashion that the Trump regime did.
Right now we're facing a situation where we don't actually know how badly the current occupant of the West Wing, with control over the nuclear codes, is doing. The fact that he's receiving larger than recommended doses of Regeneron's treatment raises more questions than it answers. And answers aren't coming out of this White House. Obfuscating the health of the emperor is the only thing it's doing.
Again, a President Hillary Clinton would have faced the same challenges. But she wouldn't have dismissed the science. She would have led a world-wide effort to combat the virus. And we might be in much better shape if she was in office. This is why the presidency is not an entry-level job. In ancient Rome, the cursus honorum dictated the path any ambitious scions of noble families had to traverse to have a shot at the consulship, the chief magistracy of the city. Before the coming of the Empire, the idea that a person who had never held office could simply catapult to the highest elective position would have seemed absurd. This country needs something like that "road of honor". The presidency shouldn't be for neophytes.
It was always even odds whether or not Trump would contract COVID-19. It was a terrible gamble to take. But now we know how Trump bankrupted casinos. He's not simply an awful president and an awful businessman, but he's the kind of man who would go in to a casino with a $10,000 stake, blow it in an hour, then come back the next day, only to repeat the exercise. He's simply not fit for any purpose.
What I don't want to happen is for him to die, however satisfying that might be. I want him humiliated on November 3rd, and then I want to see him spend the rest of his days in prison. I want justice, and don't want him to take the easy way out.
Hang on, kiddos. This is the inflection point.