Special Report

Shutdown: The Coronavirus

On the heels of revelation that Trump downplayed the covid threat, voters question rallies resuming

President Donald Trump is planning to hold more rallies despite the coronavirus death toll at more than 196,000. Photo by @macbendigo via Twenty20

On the heels of the explosive bombshell that President Donald Trump knew how deadly COVID-19  was and lied to the American people, he  has resumed  in person rallies, with little caution in spreading the virus. The rallies, which have been widely attended by thousands of  ardent Trump supporters, have again polarized  discussions about the coronavirus among voters. 

Paul Person, a flower farmer from Fredericksburg, Texas, and a Trump supporter said that while he does not believe that the coronavirus is a hoax, many people have blown it out of proportion. 

“COVID is a political football orchestrated by the higher-ups,” he said.“A whole lot of people like Fauci and Woodward are making a lot of money from this. “Although almost 200,000 people have died from it, that’s less than the people who died from the flu last year. There are approximately 330 million people in this country. Do the math on that.”

Person said that he questioned famed investigative reporter, Bob Woodward’s, credibility.

“Woodward is just a writer who wants to sell more books and put a dollar in his pocket,” said Person. “He didn’t catch Trump in a lie like he thinks he did. Trump did all he could do. He shut down the entire economy during the pandemic to save the American people.”

Not everyone agrees that Woodward was wrong in the way he disseminated the news to the public.

Funbi Abolarin, a student in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said that Woodward released his book detailing his conversations with President Trump at the right time.

“…Writing a book like that on a trending topic like the coronavirus, and tying a prominent political figure to it is a perfect strategy,” said Abolarin. “Of course, he might also have political motives for delaying the release of the book up until now to make Trump look like a less favorable candidate to indecisive voters, but that’s what makes it even more brilliant.”

The widening schism between Trump supporters and non-Trump supporters is all too apparent in recent times, especially as they relate to his recent rallies.

Dorathy Sule-Aerga, a professor in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, said that she was not surprised that President Trump would rally around the country without following the CDC’s precautionary guidelines.

“Given his past history, I am also not surprised that he chose not to tell the general public what was happening. The fault is not entirely his, though. People are adult enough to take responsibility and make smart choices,” said Sule-Aerga. “The fact that he continues to hold rallies does not mean that they have to engage.”

While the coronavirus has dramatically affected some lives, others say that they have not been affected.

Ross Sietsema, an entrepreneur and business owner in Allendale, Michigan, said that the coronavirus has not affected him or anyone he knows.

“It’s tough for me to say that I buy into the coronavirus stuff,” said Sietsema. “I don’t wear a mask unless I have to. I wear it at work, but that’s as far as it gets.”

Sietsema had a different perspective on Woodward’s recent revelations.

“If Bob Woodward is tied to the democrats, then it makes sense that he would try to make Trump look bad,” he said. “Donald Trump is a reasonable businessman first. If he truly knew something like the coronavirus would affect the economy, he would have shared it sooner rather than later. I find the whole thing hard to believe.”

But other people have a different opinion.

Ikenna Njoku, a research assistant in Grand Rapids, Michigan, said that Trump’s refusal to share the information about the virus with the people points to his lack of presidential experience.

“While I understand that he was trying to prevent panic, it was not the right move to try to prevent panic by downplaying the virus when people were obviously dying,” he said. “For one, it begs to question his credibility as a leader. It was unwise, unsafe, and unnecessary.”

 Njoku said that Trump was capitalizing on his following by holding the rallies.

“He has successfully gathered a strong following of supporters that listen to him, even when he is being openly deceptive,” said Njoku. “COVID-19 has been politicized, and turned into a blame game; when things like this happen, people tend to see things through the lens of “us vs. them,” and they rally around the political candidate that aligns most with their views. In this case, that candidate is Donald Trump.”

 

Author


Tags


Other Stories in Special Report: Shutdown: The Coronavirus

Life returns to the East Village

Quincy Walter May 5, 2021

Reopening for Ramadan

Hassan Abbas May 4, 2021

And the band played on

Xavier Bartaburu May 2, 2021

Queens residents mourn at Covid vigil

Annie Burky May 2, 2021

Floating for Free: COVID and the Staten Island Ferry

Trish Rooney May 2, 2021

COVID-19 has left many Black and Hispanic landlords in serious debt

Norah Hogan April 24, 2021

Village East movie theater reopens to the public

Inga Parkel April 13, 2021

Chinese adoptions halted by COVID

Inga Parkel March 24, 2021

Remote is the new workplace normal

Courtney Guarino March 24, 2021

One year of COVID-19 in New York City

Michelle Diaz March 16, 2021

COVID long haulers deal with lingering symptoms and doubt

Kaity Assaf March 5, 2021

Pandemic Weddings

Chuyan Jiang March 2, 2021

Pandemic fatigue 101

Chuyan Jiang February 28, 2021

Yankee Stadium becomes COVID-19 vaccine site for Bronx residents only

Michelle Diaz February 24, 2021

The queer community rallies behind their sacred spaces closed because of COVID-19

Inga Parkel February 23, 2021

Street vendors struggle as New Yorkers and tourists stay home

Norah Hogan February 13, 2021

Keeping the faith in COVID-19

Courtney Guarino February 3, 2021

Little Italy’s restaurants need indoor dining to survive pandemic

Michelle Diaz February 2, 2021

Stray pets find homes and love during pandemic

Inga Parkel February 1, 2021

No Actors, But the Show Goes On

James Pothen December 5, 2020

New York City, a place of refuge 

Edith Rousselot December 4, 2020

Commuting in a pandemic world

Michelle Diaz December 3, 2020

Battling food insecurities during a pandemic

Courtney Guarino December 3, 2020

Adaptation

Justin McGown December 3, 2020

Honk!: Cars earn a special spot in 2020

Luana Harumi December 3, 2020

Working out looks very different during a pandemic

Chuyan Jiang December 2, 2020

One kitchen’s transformation in the age of isolation

Isabel Beer December 2, 2020

Nursing homes are filled with sadness and loss during pandemic shut down

Inga Parkel December 1, 2020

The show goes on

Norah Hogan December 1, 2020

Loyal members help keep independent cinemas afloat

Courtney Guarino December 1, 2020

Musicians deal with the reality of no live shows as covid takes center stage

Paola Michelle Ortiz December 1, 2020

 Black Friday’s Aftermath

Sughnen Yongo November 30, 2020

The Spirit of Little Haiti

Savannah Daniels October 14, 2020

Small business owners hope for future relief

Courtney Guarino October 2, 2020

Brooklyn Book Festival held virtually

Chuyan Jiang September 28, 2020

NYC Restaurant owners worry about maintaining business during winter 

Isabel Beer September 27, 2020

The pandemic is causing mental health struggles for many Latinos

Paola Michelle Ortiz September 24, 2020

Politically divided family can agree on one thing, rallies are bad during a pandemic

Michelle Diaz September 23, 2020

New Yorkers are vulnerable to mental issues due to pandemic

Sughnen Yongo September 23, 2020

Healthcare professionals struggle with Trump’s decisions during pandemic

Tori Luecking September 23, 2020

Some Americans Say “Not So Fast” on Operation Warp Speed

James Pothen September 23, 2020

Trump voters unfazed by morality of Trump’s Covid response

Norah Hogan September 22, 2020

Trump rallies continue, despite the rising Covid-19 death toll

Isabel Beer September 22, 2020

Latinos weigh in on President Trump’s management of the pandemic

Paola Michelle Ortiz September 21, 2020

Fast track vaccine causes fear

Kaity Assaf September 21, 2020

It’s business as usual at McSorley’s Old Ale House

Tori Luecking September 20, 2020

Trump defiance to hold indoor rallies amidst COVID-19 sparks polarized responses 

Courtney Guarino September 20, 2020

NYC Cafes and restaurants try and survive the pandemic

Isabel Beer September 19, 2020

A typical afternoon at Shade Bar NYC

Kaity Assaf September 19, 2020

West Village staple, Caffe Reggio, remains open for outdoor dining in the wake of coronavirus restrictions 

Norah Hogan September 19, 2020