(CNN) – The president of U.SDonald Trump set out to stabilize a shaken nation and shadow economy with a solemn speech in the Oval Office, but instead sowed more confusion and raised questions about whether he can handle the crisis in the coronavirus which rapidly worsens.
Trump spoke to the nation at a terrifying moment, when the rhythms of daily life in Americans begin to be affected: with the closure of schools, the NBA suspended, hospitals on high alert and the announcement that movie star Tom Hanks and his wife have the disease.
“The virus will not stand a chance against us. No nation is more prepared or more resilient than the United States, “said the president, before painting an optimistic picture of an economy that is already suffering from the consequences of the virus. The president unveiled several measures to do this, to help workers who have had to isolate themselves and are affected by the closings, although his call for a payroll tax cut is not popular in Congress.
READ: Trump misrepresents the ban on entry from Europe during prime time, causing confusion
Trump’s big announcement to keep the virus at bay – which he said was a 30-day ban on traveling to the US. UU. since Europe and cargo restrictions – he was immediately engulfed in confusion.
The president then was quick to clarify on Twitter that travel and not the transatlantic trade in goods were suspended, and authorities said his plan did not apply to Americans or permanent US residents. Although these travelers would face mandatory quarantines.
Trump also caused confusion when he said he had convinced health insurance providers to waive all copays for coronavirus treatments.
A White House official later said the president had meant that copays would not apply to coronavirus testing, but would still apply to treatments for the disease.
Sowing confusion
The confusion was symptomatic of an administration that has often struggled to outline detailed policies and present them consistently. Trump’s main task on Wednesday was to show that he is in charge and that he finally appreciated the seriousness of the weeks ahead. But the confusion over the travel ban turned his speech into a kind of debacle and may further exacerbate the uncertainty about his leadership.
And its announcement of a travel ban was apparently made without consulting the tourism industry or US allies. UU. and it seems ready to cause a massive disruption that will deepen the cascading economic damage unleashed by the crisis.
The move could cause the massive cancellation of transatlantic flights, which could lead the aviation industry to a time of existential challenge. It is also unlikely to do anything to calm investor panic after Wall Street entered a bear market on Wednesday. For example, Dow Futures fell more than 1,000 points after Trump’s speech.
“This is not a financial crisis. It is only a temporary situation that we will overcome together as a nation and as a world, “Trump said in his speech.
On a more fundamental level, the travel ban plan raised basic questions about the president’s understanding of a crisis he has downplayed, blamed Democrats for and predicted would go away soon.
The guidance from the Department of Homeland Security suggests that the restrictions exempt US citizens and permanent residents, who would face quarantine when they returned home. And the president did not explain why his ban did not include citizens of the United Kingdom, where the virus has also taken root.
But the biggest problem America faces. UU. there are no more cases of coronavirus from Europe, but the disease has taken root in its own territory due to the community spread.
Urgent problems now revolve around how Americans should respond to the situation and to what extent their daily patterns should change. Trump advised stopping non-essential visits to nursing homes, the group most at risk from the virus.
But he did not explain how it would address what health officials fear will become crowded hospitals, the constant lack of adequate testing, or the paucity of resources, such as the respirators needed to keep sicker patients alive.
He argued that the threat was still “very low” for everyone except the elderly and infirm on the same day that one of its top public health officials, Dr. Anthony Fauci, predicted that the current scenario, with more than 1,200 sick and 38 dead people in the United States, “will get worse.”
A speech that will probably divide the nation
For Trump supporters, his speech was likely decisive and bold in facing a national challenge.
But for critics, a family script followed, as he blamed others for the crisis, gloated over self-congratulation and xenophobia, and misled the country about his actions thus far.
“This is the most aggressive and comprehensive effort to deal with a foreign virus in modern history,” Trump said, misrepresenting his own catalog of missteps and those of his administration.
The president did not mention, for example, the shortage of test kits, which means officials cannot even get a solid reading of how far the disease has spread across the country.
Presidents use the speeches in the Oval Office at extreme times, to unite Americans in a challenge that threatens their collective security.
But Trump’s unintentional and almost resentful speech when faced with an external challenge that could threaten his reelection hopes is unlikely to accomplish the important mission of the presidency.
His central remedy – blaming China, where the crisis was triggered, and Europe for being affected by it – was consistent with his mantra. political to demonize foreigners.
The idea that a virus that affects all humans and is a natural force was some sort of foreign-made threat to attack Americans is staggering in its own conception.
The president did announce a series of measures to support businesses and individuals with tax breaks and low interest rates as the virus takes hold in the United States.
But Trump’s plan to isolate the country from Europe seems like closing the stable door after the horse has escaped: the virus is already here and infects more Americans every day.
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