Yesterday, even the untruthful president went beyond the pale. He actually parroted something he heard somewhere that UV light and disinfectant could be used internally to combat COVID-19. Please read the previous sentence for full effect.
Three comments. First, we should have been concerned when Trump and his VP stood at the podium without doctors. Dr. Deborah Birx was present, but sitting in a chair to the right of the president facing his side. Watch her reaction as he speaks to her for validation – she is not making any eye contact to betray her thoughts.
Second, Lysol put out a statement last night. Please do not ingest or inject our product or any other disinfectant. It is dangerous. A host of doctors noted this is not advice that should be followed.
Third, even Republican Senators and party leaders have asked Trump to leave the speaking on COVID-19 to the experts. He has already forced out one Vaccine expert for disagreeing with him on a treatment the president even now has abandoned. The expert is considering a whistleblower complaint.
Dr. Anthony Fauci and Dr. Birx have often had to correct the president, sometimes in the same conference. Mr. president, this is not one of your rallies where you lie with much greater frequency. These conferences are supposed to be helpful. Yet, John Oliver said it well on his recent comedy/ news show “Last week tonight,”
“The president is belng actively harmful to Americans with his misinformation.” When Lysol has to put out a press release to say don’t use our product internally, it is time for the president to follow his fellow Republicans advice and let others speak on these issues.
If you don’t want to heed their advice, maybe Mark Twain’s may be more directive. Twain said, “It is better to let people think you are a fool, than to speak and remove all doubt.”
musingsofanoldfart
Independent views from someone who offers some historical context
The ignorance of the ‘man’ in the Oval Office never ceases to amaze, but what’s even more distressing is that companies like Lysol need to put out such a disclaimer, for there are some among Trump’s base who would, no doubt, “try this at home”. Is it any wonder this nation is in the state it’s in now? He must be removed from office … if not by election, then by another impeachment. Surely by now those republican senators who gave him the keys to the castle in February are kicking themselves?
Jill, since I try not to name call, it is very hard with this latest example not to say what I think. GOP Senators are worried about his falling support. But, they do not yet realize, they need to save the country and endorse his opponent. Keith
Keith, I cannot disagree with you in this excellent post but for one exception! I am hesitant to appear rude and unkind, as I abhor both in myself and anyone else. However, as I too had often shared this quote and attributed it to Mark Twain, both of us were misled. Whilst, according to a reputable source, Mark Twain did not say those words, Twain did say this : “[he] was endowed with a stupidity which by the least little stretch would go around the globe four times and tie.” Those words makes one believe, albeit impossible, that Twain knew Trump! Kind sir, my humble apology if I have offended you! Thank-you!
Ellen, you have not. It sounds like Twain, though. Keith
25th. amendment !
Holly, he would be a candidate, but no one has the nerve. Keith
I know, he has bullied everyone in his party and elsewhere, it’s a phenomenon.
Holly, his followers rave about his decisiveness, yet he is not decisive. He is impetuous and prone to flip-flop. His followers say he is just saying what he thinks, but he actually does not exhibit much forethought. Keith
Note to Readers: The latest comment should be viewed as a metaphor for the Trump presidency – untrue, reckless and dangerous. It is akin to Marie Antoinette’s “let them eat cake” remark.
That Lysol and actual medical professionals had to tell people not to drink disinfectant after his latest reckless, non-medical, dumb-ass recommendation is beyond real. I wish they would limit these non-briefings to Morse code or something the majority of people couldn’t see or decipher.
Well Nshami, I can’t argue with your assessment. The solution would be for him not to attend or with tape over his mouth. Keith
Note to Readers II: The White House is now saying the president was joking about the disinfectant. Really, and I am the King of England. Who would make jokes at a time like that? Who would look to the doctor in the room for validation if he were joking?
Like many in our country, I have grown weary of the president’s BS. I would love to see a report directly comment the above headline to the president in a press conference. To be brutally frank, he does bring honor to the presidency nor our country. Nor do his legislative sycophants.
What more can be said….
Well there’s this….
Roger, too, too funny. Very clever and well executed. Keith
Hello Keith and Roger. If you enjoy good parody songs skewering tRump you might want to check out https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCwlHzGKZA-e2GeLMjIE51uw Hugs
Thanks Scottie. There is plenty of fodder for parodies from the self-proclaimed “stable genius.” It does remind me of the Steely Dan lyric in “Reeling in the years.”
“You have been telling me you’re a genius since you were seventeen.
In all this time I’ve known you, I still don’t know what you mean.”
Keith
Brilliant isn’t it? It seems to be an ongoing set up somewhere in the USA
Thanks Roger. It is cool.
By shirking and befouling the duties as commander-in-chief, isn’t he doing precisely what he promised to do? Shifting responsibility away from the fed and to the individual states? This sets states against each other. Divide and conquer. And in time, here we have the Trump Kingdom with a string of eager heirs.
Linda, while all of this has been going on, what many Americans do not realize is how the people who know what they have been doing, the branded Deep State, have been minimized, defunded, run out, and transferred. Also, per Michael Lewis’ book “The Fifth Risk,” the incoming Trump staff did not attend or read briefing materials on what the government department does, so we are terribly at risk on a number of fronts. Lewis wrote his book after he heard of the lack of desire of Trump people to learn, so he read the unclassified portions of the briefing materials and talked to them about risks.
Various risks were identified, but the overlapping one is the politicization of science by funders to fund their initiatives, which may or may not be in the best interests of Americans.
As for the COVID-19 shift to the states, Trump wants to the authority without the responsibility. He will blame others as COVID-19 lingers. Keith
Yup. And by not having a true Cabinet, vetted by Congress, he is at liberty to hire/fire at will, which keeps them all panting behind him, trying to stay in his good graces. A recipe for a would-be/will-be king.
Good observation, Linda.
Note to Readers III: With one word change from “Yesterday” to “Thursday,” I posted this on my two GOP Senators and GOP Congressman’s website. It is a message they know all to well and are worried sick about, so they need to know how we feel about the president’s harmful misinformation.
What does the Hippocratic Oath say? Something about do no harm. While he is not a doctor, too many folks don’t realize that much of what he says is BS. Maybe, just maybe, when he says things this inane, it might sink in.
Note to Readers: Add former GOP Senator Jeff Flake to the list of those Republicans who will not vote for Trump, per an article in MSN today.
“Former U.S. Sen. Jeff Flake (R-Ariz.) said in a new interview that he will not vote for President Trump in November, citing concerns going back before the 2016 campaign.”
More on this later, but a GOP Memo has surfaced which allows Senators running for office to not have to defend Trump on the COVID-19 response, instead blaming China. The White House is none to happy about this revelation.
Note to Readers II: Scottie has included a reference and link to the Wichita Eagle in Kansas which defines why the president cannot and should not abuse the gravitas of the office by saying dangerous things.
https://scottiestoybox.com/2020/04/29/health-officials-man-drank-toxic-cleaning-product-after-trumps-comments-on-disinfectants/