Letter to the Editor

President Trump’s leadership on coronavirus averts disaster

Tuesday, March 31, 2020

Our nation is facing a mounting crisis over the Coronavirus. This global pandemic is unlike anything seen in our lifetime. The challenges faced by the Coronavirus are new and unfaced before by our nation. But we are the United States of America — each generation has faced its share of unprecedented challenges, and we have always overcome. This is a new challenge, but one that we will beat as Americans. We have the spirit, ingenuity and good old-fashioned know-how to overcome this virus and rebound.

Unfortunately, if you asked some of the pundits and professionals around in the media, they would tell you we are facing the end of days. They would have you believe that this virus spells the doom of America, and that is all because President Trump is in charge.

President Trump has continued to be a leader for our time. He is demonstrating the calm, determined demeanor we need in our chief executive at this time. When it became clear that the Coronavirus would spread, and potentially reach the shores of the United States, President Trump advised calm and reasoned response — this was a developing situation, and the United States would prepare for its spread. The media called this “downplaying a threat” and told Americans that it was time to panic. Rather than follow the lead of the president, politicians and journalists thought this was a time to score political points by starting a panic.

And when the media got their panic and the markets went into flux, President Trump responded with common sense policies in an attempt to stabilize the markets, while still advocating for calm and reasonable responses. He began a task force, headed by our own vice president, to craft a government response and lead a nationwide, even a global, response — all in a matter of weeks! His response has been well-reasoned in light of the circumstances.

We cannot expect, nor do we want, the president to shut down the entire country. The steps taken by this administration have grown in proportion to the threat, and that is what we want. We are not at the point where we quarantine the whole of the nation, which would halt the economy and set our economy and society back by months.

President Trump is demonstrating the best leadership in the wake of this unprecedented pandemic. I am proud to stand by our president and his determined leadership during this challenge. Despite what many are saying, trying to smear the president’s response, I think that his steps show commonsense and measured responses. The administration is restricting travel from the most infected areas, including China and Europe. He is looking at ways to spur the economy that will face a slowdown as a result of people’s fear.

Our nation will overcome this disease. Our economy will rebound, and we will have a return to normalcy. In the meantime, we would do well to stay united as a nation, to work together to fight this disease, and not to play partisan games to try and score political points. President Trump is displaying true leadership. When we inevitably beat and recover from this Coronavirus, I hope that Americans recognize the panic was overblown, and that the Trump administration helped to see us through a great challenge.

Eddy Justice

Republican candidate for state Senate