It Is What It Is

This is how far America has fallen.

After the president* tweeted that he and his wife tested positive for the coronavirus, many people (and I am one of them) started to question whether this is true or merely another distraction. After all, his performance at the recent debate was abysmal. Deaths from Covid-19 continue to skyrocket. The New York Times got its hands on several years of his tax returns that show he has paid little to no income taxes over many years. So there are several stories dominating the news, none of them positive. Announcing that he has Covid-19 would be the perfect distraction, and it is guaranteed to get him some sympathy, too.

I was raised not to wish ill of anyone. And I certainly would never wish Covid-19 on anyone, even those I consider evil and immoral. Covid is a horrible, nasty disease. But it is definitely a struggle not to inwardly appreciate the fact that the person who horribly bungled the nation's response to this pandemic, who refuses to wear a mask and insist that others do as well, who failed to warn the American public of the dangers this virus presents, who purchased essential personal protective equipment to keep states from obtaining it for medical personnel, and who repeatedly downplayed the virus as a 'hoax', now is hospitalized with the disease. 

As others have said, this may be karma paying the president* a visit, it may be yet another distraction to try to garner sympathy and to change the focus of the news media, or it may be a legitimate story. I guess time will tell.

If it is a distraction, it is a horrible thing to do. If it's real, I have a hard time finding any sympathy for him or his wife, particularly after last week's release of a damning phone call between her and a former assistant. Likewise, I have little sympathy for all those sycophants who gathered in large groups and refused to take even basic precautions (such as wearing a mask) to protect themselves.

After all the lies (more than 25,000 so far) and distortions of the truth, it is no surprise that Americans are rightfully skeptical. And the timing of this 'news' also is suspect.

In any event, to quote the president* "It is what it is." And to quote the White House 'escort', "I really don't care, do u?" 

I don't wish anyone ill. I don't hope that anyone dies. But I just can't muster any sympathy for those whose deliberate gaslighting, lies, deceptions and mismanagement have cost so many their lives, their jobs and their businesses. Those people deserve our sympathy and empathy, for their are innocent victims of this horrible disease.

Trump and his cult followers have never expressed one iota of sympathy for their fellow Americans who have suffered and, in many cases, died from this virus. Their sole focus has been on the stock market and the economy, on businesses reopening despite the very obvious risks.

So no, I will save my sympathy for those who are the innocent victims of this administration. To quote the president*, "It is what it is."