WASHINGTON – “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt.“Men will still say, ‘This was their finest hour’” — British Prime Minister Winston Churchill."One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear” — President Donald Trump.
___In times of crisis — wars, hurricanes, pandemics — effective leaders strike a balance between inspirational rhetoric and leveling with the public about the tough times ahead.
Facing the coronavirus, Trump chose a different path, acknowledging that from early on he was intentionally “playing down” the threat from an outbreak that has gone on to kill more than 190,000 Americans.