As pandemic deepens, Trump cycles through targets to
blame
today
"NEW YORK (AP) — First, it was the media that was at fault. Then, Democratic governors came under fire. China, President Barack Obama and federal watchdogs have all had a turn in the crosshairs. And now it’s the World Health Organization that’s to blame.
President Donald Trump is falling back on a familiar political strategy as he grapples with the coronavirus pandemic: deflect, deny and direct blame elsewhere.
As he tries to distance his White House from the mounting death toll, Trump has cycled through a long list of possible scapegoats in an attempt to distract from what critics say were his own administration’s missteps in slowing the spread of the coronavirus on American shores.
The strategy relies on validation from supportive media personalities and Republicans, evoking White House tactics during other challenging times for Trump’s presidency. The effort is taking on more urgency during a once-in-a-century health crisis playing out just seven months before voters go to the polls.
The list of those Trump has blamed is lengthy, and shifting:
Democratic governors for alleged mismanagement at the front lines of the crisis. The media, first for hyping the threat of the virus and then for not giving the administration credit for its response. Federal inspectors general, believed to be conspiring to make the White House look bad. The Obama administration, for not adequately preparing. China, initially absolved of responsibility, then accused of covering up worrisome health data. And now the WHO, from which Trump has threatened to withhold funding.
Trump himself owns up to no mistakes.
Last month, as the nation began to lock down, Trump declared “I don’t take responsibility at all” for a lack of testing. And when asked this week if he would have responded to the crisis differently had he seen a January memo from a senior adviser warning about the potential severity of the virus outbreak in the U.S., the president was blunt.
“I couldn’t have done it any better,” he said.
In the face of extraordinary electoral headwinds, finding fault elsewhere has become the directive for the president’s allies, according to four White House officials and Republicans close to the White House. They spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.
Trump’s attacks on foils from Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to Chinese health officials have been amplified by Cabinet members, his campaign apparatus and congressional Republicans."
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https://apnews.com/58f1b869354970689d55ccae37c540f3