By John Johnson
America has lost four presidents by assassinations and four died of natural causes. In each of these scenarios, the vice president was sworn in as President. The Nation was left to mourn the loss of its leaders. However, once these fallen leaders were memorialized and buried, bipartisan rancor resumed, thus causing government not to function well.
Now, Trump, America’s 45th president is alive, but con-fined to a bed at Walter Reed’s Hospital. He’s facing a possible horrible death or long recovery having contracted COVIV-19, because of his defiance and ignorance. It’s difficult to blame the disease given the attitude he has demonstrated. Can you imagine a Fire Chief ignoring a 911 fire alarm call t from a public hospital or any place? What if the Mayor of California decided not to warn the people of the raging forest fires because he feared they would panic?
The president has admitted knowing that COVID- 19 is deadly and can be transmitted air borne. Yet, he lied to the public about its deadly consequences and thereby failed to initiate steps to protect the Nation’s people. This de-reliction of duty resulted in over 7 million people contracting COVID-19, and over 200 hundred thousand deaths.
Considering the president’s irresponsible actions taken to protect the public against this pandemic as well as his family, staff, and himself, shouldn’t Congress convened a session in order to determine if the president should be considered having committed a dereliction of duty? Is not the health of this Nation equally as important as that of this president?
Amazingly, just as Trump failed to take steps immediately to protect this Nation, he again failed to protect the public, including his devoted staff and family from himself. Undoubtedly, again, because of defiance and ignorance, he traveled to a fund raiser and other public functions knowing he had been exposed to COVID-19. Thus, the number of persons infected by him continue to grow by the hour. And yes, more people needlessly may die.
His defiance and ignorance didn’t stop. Remember, several days earlier at the grounds of the White House, he held an event to announce his nominee for the Supreme Court. He did this knowing he had been in the presence of an infected aide.
Hix. Subsequently, multiple attendees contracted COVID-19.
After thinking that the President and our Nation was safe because he was hospitalized, he managed to raise his level of defiance and ignorance. On Sunday, October 4, 2020, Trump on national TV, from the hospital, told the Nation that having contracted COVID-19, “I learned something; I went to school.” Undoubtedly, he didn’t learn anything. In less than one hour, he ordered the Secret Service to load him into a SUV so he could do a drive-by and wave at his supporters.
Think voters, the president, who is infected with COVID-19, wanted to do a drive-by. Could you imagine a five-year-old infected with COVID-19, asking his mother to load him into their SUV and drive him to the playground so that he could wave at his classmates? This mother probably would have been heard telling her son, “get your act back in the bed before I lose my “shoe.” Unfortunately, the President’s doctors didn’t have this level of courage or power.
Hopefully, by now someone in Congress must realize that the actions of this president are not those of someone who is mentally fit to remain in office, not to mention have access to the “nuclear codes.” It should also be noted that Mary Trump, the president’s niece, has been quoted saying, “illness was “unacceptable” by Donald Trump and his father, Fred Trump.” Upon his return to the White House, he does the unthinkable of spreading the virus by removing his mask before entering the room. Again, the president’s behavior does raise serious questions.
A serious question must be debated and answered, “Should the 25th Amendment be used immediately to protect the president from himself as well as this Nation? Sadly, this president may need help beyond what he’s receiving for COVID-19, and it’s more obvious than ever.
The Republican party can no longer continue to abdicate their responsibilities to this Nation. They must honor their oaths to uphold the Constitution and not remain loyal to an unfit president.