Donald Trump – Super-Spreader Source
It is concerning to see Donald Trump holding political rallies where wearing masks and social distancing are not strictly enforced. These rallies are superspreader events for COVID-19. By attending them people are putting their lives and the lives of their loved ones at risk.
COVID-19 Victrims at White House ceremony
The Rose Garden ceremony that Trump held to honor his Supreme Court nominee, Amy Coney Barrett, was notable for the fact that few guests wore masks and many of them mingled and sat in close proximity to others. Following the event, many people such as the president, several of his top-level staff along with several senators, top-level military officers, and other distinguished guests tested positive for the coronavirus.
Superspreader Events Across the U.S.
As the November election draws nears, Donald Trump is planning to hold political rallies in Florida, Pennsylvania, Iowa, North Carolina, Georgia, and Wisconsin. That is, the Trump campaign is planning a series of superspreader events across the U.S. in the midst of one of the deadliest pandemics in modern times! It makes one wonder whose side Donald Trump is on? Ours or COVID-19’s?
Trump at Sanrord, FL rally Source
Trump: “I feel so powerful!”
A charismatic leader who thrives on getting attention, Donald Trump revels in holding political rallies. He boasted that he was now cured and immune from COVID-19. At the 12 October 2020 rally held in Sanborn, Florida, Trump boasted: “I feel so powerful. I’ll walk into the audience. I’ll walk in there; I’ll kiss everyone in the audience.” [Source] This self-aggrandizement combined with reckless behavior that endangers his followers makes Donald Trump a dangerous man.
Dead Bodies at Jim Jones Peoples Temple
Drinking the Kool-Aid?
The fervent enthusiasm of Donald Trump’s supporters combined with their willingness to put their health on the line by attending these superspreader events bears some resemblance to cult leader Jim Jones’ followers committing suicide by “drinking the Kool-Aid.” [Note: While it was actually Flavor-Aid, the phrase “drinking the Kool-Aid” entered into the popular lexicon.] One mark of a cult, whether religious or political, is the fervent unquestioning faith that the members have for the leader. The leader becomes their sole source of “truth” and their group becomes a “safe haven” that provides shelter from a dangerous world. The cult leader thrives on their devotion to him. He uses them to boost his ego. He does not really care about their safety or wellbeing. [See also the Milwaukee Independent article.]
Believing Trump Can Be Dangerous to Your Health
Believing Donald Trump can be dangerous for his followers. Trump’s incautious claim that the FDA had approved an anti-malaria medication called choroquin led to one Arizona man’s death and his wife becoming seriously ill. After hearing Trump touting this drug as a cure for COVID-19, the couple ingested chloroquin phosphate (used for clearning fish tanks), not realizing that it is different from hydroxychloroquin (used for treating malaria). Following the tragedy, the woman told a reporter:
Trump kept saying it was basically pretty much a cure. Don’t take anything. Don’t believe anything. Don’t believe anything that the president says and his people . . . call your doctor. [Emphasis added.] Source
Reaching Out – Source
Reaching Out to Trump Fans
For those of us who know people who are in the Trump cult, we should treat them with compassion and dignity. It is hard for anyone to admit that they were wrong, especially after defying mainstream opinion for a long time. Rather than force the truth down their throats, we should instead encourage them to ask questions, to entertain doubts. We need to ask them to consider the possibility that by attending a Trump rally they may catch and thereby endanger the lives of their family and friends. What is more important, Donald Trump’s ego or the lives of our family and friends? This is the choice many will have to make in the next few weeks.
Ken
References
Sarah Al-Arshani. “At least 8 people who attended a White House Rose Garden event for Amy Coney Barrett’s Supreme Court nomination have tested positive for COVID-19.” Business Insider 4 October 2020.
Timothy Annett. “Fauci Calls White House Ceremony a ‘Super-Spreader Event.” Bloomberg 9 October 2020.
Carolyn Barber. “Protecting against COVID’s Aerosol Threat.” ScientificAmerican.com 1 October 2020.
Julian Borger. “Donald Trump’s desperation to leave hospital shows the dangers ahead.” TheGuardian.com 6 October 2020.
Dartunorro Clark. “Fauci calls Amy Coney Barrett ceremony in Rose Garden ‘superspreader event.’” NBCNews.com 9 October 2020.
Jill Colvin and Jonathan Lemire. “Defiant Trump defends virus record in 1st post-COVID rally.” APNews.com 12 October 2020.
Editorial Board. “Editorial: At indoor rallies, Trump puts his supporters’ lives at risk.” USA Today 15 September 2020.
Sanjay Gupta and Andrea Kane. “From the Rose Garden to rallies: What large gatherings can teach us about the spread of coronavirus.” CNN Health update 6 October 2020.
Steven Harper. “Donald Trump, Aspiring Super-Spreader: Trump Wants Big Rallies — No Matter What.” Moyers on Democracy 23 June 2020.
Reggie Jackson. “Drinking the Kool-Aid: Trump Echoes Jim Jones by Declaring ‘Don’t be Afraid of COVID.” Milwaukee Independent 6 October 2020.
Betsy Klein. “Trump set to defy task force recommendations with Wisconsin rallies.” CNN Politics 1 October 2020.
Ethen Kim Lieser. “Simple Way to Stop Coronavirus: Don’t Sing and Shout.” National Interest 14 September 2020.
Jennie Rothenberg Ortiz. “Drinking the Kool-Aid: A Survivor Remembers Jim Jones.” Interview with Teri Buford O’Shea. The Atlantic 18 November 2011.
Wistv. “Arizona death prompts warning against using chloroquine phosphate as treatment for coronavirus.” Wistv.com 24 March 2020.