An Open Letter To Donald J. Trump

Dear Mr. President:

America has a problem, a really big problem right now. No, I’m not referring to the Coronavirus. I am referring to you, sir. You, POTUS #45.

I’m specifically referring to your big mouth.

Remember when you publicly proclaimed COVID-19 to be a “hoax?” During one of your rah-rah Trumpropaganda rallies, you downplayed this worldwide plague as some kind of plot launched by the Democrats to destroy you. It happened during those good old days of non-isolation, just last month. Remember? Think back to your halcyon days of barnstorming the country and packing arenas and auditoriums to full capacity with your loyal supporters. That was when it happened. That was when you were in prime propaganda-spewing mode, sir. Ah, memories. Such charisma! Such magnetism! Such blatant misrepresentation!

How could America possibly forget your arrogant rhetoric of political victimhood as you attacked those no-good, clueless Democrats at that rally in North Charleston, South Carolina back on February 28th? You actually decried them for politicizing this contagion! You also called the Coronavirus a hoax. Remember?
A hoax — that’s what you called it, Mr. President. You told all those people at that rally — not to mention viewers who were watching on TV — that this oncoming health scourge was a hoax. No sir, I’m not making it up. It’s not fake news. You said it. You were the one who said it was a hoax.

Not only did I see televised excerpts of that rally and hear you say “hoax,” I also double-checked your remarks online for accuracy. On a site called FactCheckPosts, I found the verification I needed. In fact, writer Rem Rieder included these quotes from your speech in his article “Trump and the ‘New Hoax’”:
“…They tried the impeachment hoax. That was on a perfect conversation. They tried anything. They tried it over and over. They’d been doing it since you got in. It’s all turning. They lost. It’s all turning. Think of it. Think of it. And this is their new hoax.”

There’s no way you can weasel you way out if it by claiming your listeners misunderstood, either. They didn’t. Now it’s true that “hoax” is an emotionally-loaded word with negative connotations. But whether used as a noun or transitive verb, hoax — by its very definition — involves deception, trickery, fraud, or cheating. A hoax is defined as “An act intended to deceive or trick, either as a practical joke or serious fraud.” If someone hoaxes or is hoaxing you, that someone is “deceiving or cheating you by using a hoax.” Either way, the word unmistakably means that dishonesty and lies are being used to unduly influence some person or persons.

Do you see where I’m going with this narrative, sir?

You are the President of The United States of America. You are more than just our nation’s Chief Executive or Commander-in-Chief. To millions of Americans, you are a living symbol of truth, justice, and the American Way. You are democracy personified. When you speak, everyone listens. So when you used your bully pulpit to cry “hoax,” people paid attention. And your Trumpers believed you and will continue to believe you, no matter how strange, unusual, or contradictory you might sound.

So when you dismissed the Coronavirus as a hoax and laughed it off, they laughed too. They also chose to believe your dismissal of it, and not the dire warnings from doctors, scientists, or medical researchers. That’s why COVID-19 has become a pandemic.

Because of your rhetoric, Mr President, too many people — especially your voting base — are not taking any of the recommended precautions. Your loyal supporters who voted for you in 2016 and want to reelect you in 2020 still believe what you told them back in January, February, and even at the beginning of March. So they’re not isolating, social distancing, or doing anything else to protect themselves or other people. When you laughed it off as a hoax, they believed it literally WAS a hoax. They kept traveling, going to work, cavorting on the beach, even hosting Coronavirus parties! They didn’t think it was real.

After all, if the President of the United States wasn’t taking this virus seriously, why should they?

But you were wrong in your assessment of COVID-19, sir. This pandemic IS very real and very deadly.

So now is the time to undo the damage you’ve caused. Use your bully pulpit to give consistent information — and dire warnings, if needed. Recant your previous dismissals and level with the American people about this virulent Coronavirus. Stop putting profits of your businesses and Wall Street before the welfare of your constituency. Start telling the truth. Come up with one reality and stick to it. Share some actual facts once in a while. Don’t contradict your own epidemiologists during the press conferences. Just try to be Presidential.

Maybe if you follow just a couple of these recommendations, you might be able to save a few lives. (This means you, you true believers at Liberty University.) Who knows? Maybe come November, all those Trumpers could be cheering you as a hero — and not as the liar who killed their grandmas.

Take care and God Bless America!