SAN DIEGO−As reported in Bob Woodward’s new book Rage, Donald Trump confided that he downplayed the danger posed to the United States by the coronavirus because he didn’t want to panic Americans. Let’s look at how this leadership strategy has worked in the past.
Pharaoh’s press conference on the first 9 plagues: “These are natural phenomena- frogs, lice, flies, livestock pestilence, boils, hail, locusts, darkness, and the Nile looking like blood due to red tide. Now that these plagues are over, you can send your sons to play outside.”
Royal Responses to the Black Death: The common people are dying. If we monarchs hunker down in our castles, we should be safe. If we get bored, we should adopt the rats who just arrived from China as pets to play with.
Herbert Hoover Following the Stock Market Crash: Everything’s OK. Only a temporary sell off. If I were an investor, I’d buy up all those underpriced stocks and make a killing.
Transcript of exchange between Larry Speakes, Ronald Reagan’s Press Secretary, and reporter Lester Kinsolving in 1984 when there already were 300,000 HIV cases and 4,200 AIDS deaths:
Lester Kinsolving: Is the president concerned about this subject, Larry?
Larry Speakes: I haven’t heard him express concern.
Lester Kinsolving: I mean, is he going to do anything, Larry?
Larry Speakes: Lester, I have not heard him express anything. Sorry.
Lester Kinsolving: You mean he has expressed no opinion about this epidemic?
Larry Speakes: No, but I must confess I haven’t asked him about it.
Postscript: The first cases of AIDS were reported in 1981. Reagan did not speak publicly about the disease until 1985. Nearly 90,000 people died of AIDS during the Reagan Presidency.
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Baron is professor emeritus of history at San Diego State University. He may be contacted via lawrence.baron@sdjewishworld.com. San Diego Jewish World points out to new readers that this column is satire, and nothing herein should be taken literally