Donald Trump not the leader we need in a crisis

Illustration: Tom Jellett

I was given a children’s book about John F. Kennedy when I was in primary school. I quickly became fascinated by the US presidency and soon could name nearly all of the 40 men who had held the most powerful and influential office on the planet. I was enthralled by the majesty of the presidency, its history and trivia, customs and traditions, its capacity to inspire and the lives of those who occupied it.

It grew into an obsession. I have hundreds of books on presidents. I have visited dozens of presidential libraries, homes and memorials. I have watched almost every movie and television show featuring a fictional president, and countless documentaries. I have boxes of memorabilia: posters, buttons, flyers, statues. I even have a set of toy presidents made by Louis Marx in the 1950s and 60s.

I have photos standing in front of the White House. I visited the West Wing to interview Barack Obama’s speechwriter in 2013. I scored a ticket to George W. Bush’s inauguration in 2005. I’ve interviewed Jimmy Carter and George HW Bush. I’ve corresponded with presidents and ­examined their archives. I’ve ­interviewed presidential grandchildren, cabinet members, advisers, secret service agents and historians.

Today, like most people, I look on with complete horror at ­Donald Trump’s disastrous presidency, which has diminished the office and damaged the reputation of the US. Trump is an utterly grotesque figure: a bully, a narcissist, a serial liar and a fool who is devoid of empathy. He is reckless and dangerous. He is completely out of his depth in the White House.

Trump has shattered the norms of presidential behaviour. There is not an ounce of dignity or grace within him. He shows no ­respect to almost everyone, including current and former staff, cabinet members, congressional Republicans and Democrats, governors, presidential predecessors and ­voters. There is no self-reflection or contrition, and he takes no responsibility for any of his actions or the lack of them.

The full extent of Trump’s catastrophic presidency is evident in his response to the coronavirus pandemic. It is surely one of the greatest and gravest presidential failures. Trump ignored warnings about COVID-19, downplayed its impact and delayed acting. His belated response has been flawed. He blamed others. He misled people about the virus’s impact, and about testing and treatment. None of this can be disputed. Yet he calls the US response “a great success story”. He is not the trusted and reassuring leader needed in a crisis.

After Trump suggested injecting disinfectant or exposing the body to ultraviolet light as cures for coronavirus, and repeatedly promoted hydroxychloroquine as a “game changer” when the Food and Drug Administration warned it could be dangerous, how can anyone defend him? It is beyond reason for anyone to endorse this mad behaviour, even if Trump was only being sarcastic, as he later claimed.

More than 80,000 Americans have died from coronavirus — far more than in any other nation — and the toll is rising fast. The US has 4 per cent of the total world population but 30 per cent of virus deaths. It may have fewer deaths per capita than Italy, Britain or France, but this is a phony comparison. The US should be compared with nations that have been more effective in containing the virus and limiting economic damage such as Germany, Denmark, South Korea, Japan and Australia. The US has lost 20 million jobs and has the highest unemployment rate — 14.7 per cent — since the Depression.

Moreover, the US is the wealthiest, most powerful, most scientifically and technologically advanced nation on Earth. It should have been the nation best equipped to manage the virus outbreak. The US always has set a high standard for itself — the belief in American ­exceptionalism. This belief infuses the revolution of 1776 and reflects the ambitions of America’s founders. The US is, as Ronald Reagan said, ­supposed to be a shining “city on a hill”.

This is not an anti-Trump rant. Many of the US presidents I most admire are Republicans: Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Teddy Roosevelt, Dwight D. Eisenhower. I’m riveted by the tragedy of Richard Nixon, I find Reagan’s transformation into a conservative Republican icon endlessly interesting, and I hugely admire the commitment to public service of Bush 41 and Bush 43.

Trump exhibits none of the virtues of past presidents and is not interested in learning from them. While presidents are carved into rock and sculpted in marble, they all had flaws and made mistakes. There is no need to be a dewy-eyed admirer because these flaws make them more compelling. But all presidents respected the office. They subscribed to Harry Truman’s dictum that “the buck stops here”. The greats sought to unite and uplift the nation with a shared vision for the future.

In Kate Anderson Brower’s forthcoming book, Team of Five: The Presidents Club in the Age of Trump (HarperCollins), Trump shows no empathy for those who served before him. He claims he has been “treated worse” than Lincoln, who had ­brutal press coverage and was assassinated. The book shows Trump is not only ignorant and ­incompetent but also plagued by a toxic mix of insecurity, vanity and braggartism.

Trump’s admirers make excuses for his disastrous presidency. They are the same people who admire Eisenhower and Reagan or John Howard and Scott Morrison. Trump’s critics, they say, have “Trump derangement syndrome”. But it is demented to suggest these presidents and prime ministers resemble Trump’s leadership approach. Morrison’s response to COVID-19 was timely and informed by expert advice. He has been cautious, reassuring and consistent in his communication.

The US has often been blessed with leadership that has inspired people around the world. No other country has assembled a greater array of political leaders over 2½ centuries. None of them was perfect. But the greatness in America can be seen in presidents such as George Washington, Lincoln and Franklin Roosevelt. They had integrity, authority and credibility. They knew how to lead and the rest of the world looked to the US. But not any more.