Guest Post by Jeffrey A. Tucker
There are enduring mysteries surrounding the White House decision to issue a lockdown edict on March 16, 2020. The edict has no precedent in the history of governance: “indoor and outdoor venues where groups of people congregate should be closed.” The Bill of Rights was out the window, on the order of one man, and for a virus.
We have a number of sources now, from journalistic ones informed by people who were there the weekend of March 14-15, and also first-hand accounts as well.
The sources are:
- Silent Invasion by Deborah Birx
- Breaking History by Jared Kushner
- Nightmare Scenario by Washington Post reporters by Yasmeen Abutaleb and Damian Paletta
- So Help Me God, by Mike Pence
- Premonition by Michael Lewis
Each one valorizes the decision to lock down, an opinion increasingly deprecated. Indeed, it is hard to find public intellectuals or health officials today who defend it at all, especially in light of the catastrophic consequences and no obvious advantage. For sure, there are those who still have every intention to do it all over again, such as the WHO. The absence of apologies is conspicuous. Still, it’s hard to find a fan of lockdowns these days willing to stick their necks out.
Donald Trump, of course, spent two years defending the decision. These days, he seems to be backing off the old line. More and more, he and those behind him are claiming that he “left it to the states.” That claim is a legal truism in the sense that under the American system, the states are in a position to reject edicts from the White House.
South Dakota did, a fact which proves that it was possible to defy the White House.
At the same time, the White House did everything possible to make sure that everyone complied, from phone calls to outright threats and bribes. To lock down was the easy decision for both blue and red states. Fear was in the air and people and media were clamoring for it.
To what extent is Trump personally culpable? Can we really say that he was an innocent victim of bad advice?
We know for sure that Trump praised China’s response to the virus as early as January 24, 2020, so he was already primed for the decision.
On March 9, 2020, Trump still believed that the virus was manageable without extreme measures.
Only three days later, he shut down travel from Europe, UK, and Australia. The next day, national security took over as policy lead. By the following Monday, he issued the nationwide shutdown order. It was a dramatic turnabout in week’s time.
He was very proud of his actions and bragged about them constantly.
He told all affected by “necessary containment policies” that they will be getting money.
Trump also later condemned Sweden for not locking down.
Trump further insisted that it is not up to the states to decide when to open. He insisted that it was up to him alone. And he said this not two weeks after lockdown but a full month later.
We know for sure that the decision to lockdown took place March 14-15, 2020, on a weekend, inside the White House. Present with Trump were Birx, Kushner, Anthony Fauci, Pence, Scott Gottlieb (Pfizer) on the phone, plus two of Kushner’s friends from the information-tech industry, Nat Turner and Adam Boehler.
So far as we know, that’s it. Those were the people who, on their own (but probably not), decided to conduct history’s most ambitious science experiment.
The story as we know it goes like this. There was a virus circulating around and the main goal in public health was to minimize cases. In retrospect, this was the disastrous presumption because this was not AIDS and not Ebola but a respiratory virus that everyone on the planet earth would get several times. It was destined to become part of the world of pathogens we inhabit along with trillions of others. Our immune systems would need an upgrade as they always have.
That goal of minimization of even elimination was the unquestioned presumption going into this weekend three years ago. The little junta of fools gathered around Trump explained that the reduction of cases was the desiderata on which he should be focused. Xi Jinping locked down and defeated the bug. Trump was at least as good and wonderful as the head of China so he should do the same, or so he believed or so he was convinced..
Trump, known to be a germaphobe and believing strongly in his own prowess, agreed and bought the idea that he could shut down society for two weeks and then turn it on again. His advisers convinced him that this was the right and brave decision to make. After which, he would be celebrated as a great hero.
There is every evidence that he believed this. “If everyone makes this change or these critical changes and sacrifices now,” Trump said at his March 16 presser, “we will rally together as one nation and we will defeat the virus and we’re going to have a big celebration together.”
That perfectly positioned his advisors to come back in two weeks with good news and bad news. The good news is that we are making progress. The bad news is that if he opens now, cases will go up and that will make him a liar. That’s why we need another 30 days, they told him. He approved that. And so on it went until the vaccine was made available. In the meantime, Trump himself lost control and was eventually booted from office.
In this scenario, Trump is the dupe, a man convinced to destroy the America that he promised to make great. Instead, he wrecked it. The fault lies entirely with the bad advisors Fauci, Birx, Kushner, Pence, and Gottlieb. And that is a compelling version of events. Trump was tricked!
That version of events – essentially confirmed by all accounts we have – offers an out for Trump. Maybe. After all, if he really is that gullible, does he not bear at least some responsibility for the decision?
I must say that this is the version of events I’ve long accepted. But actually, as I think about it, this story is self-aggrandizing for the tellers. To say “I convinced the president to shut down the economy” is quite the commentary on their own awesomeness and persuasive power.
What if the real story is slightly different? What if Trump himself was as gung-ho for lockdowns as anyone else in the room? What if he didn’t really need convincing but rather was happy to let others take the “credit” for having convinced him? He is nothing if not a great salesman.
How do we know for sure that Trump was not selling his advisors rather than the reverse? We do not actually know that. The most plausible scenario is that everyone in that hot house of Oval Office power pretension was equally enthusiastic for the most catastrophic public-health decision in modern history.
If this alternative scenario is true, we have another layer of problems on our hands. If the whole thing was accomplished by Trump himself – and honest people have to admit that this is possible – the scenario in the Oval Office in those fateful days changes rather dramatically. It remains a possibility that Trump himself – not Fauci, Birx, Kushner, Pence, or Gottlieb – deserves the main blame for what happened to American rights and liberties. And this blame is deserved not because he was duped but because he was in on it, having changed his mind at some point between March 9 and March 12.
I’m sad to say that there seems to be no evidence to contradict this alternative scenario. And while it is true that the decision doomed his presidency, that does not necessarily mean that he didn’t share enthusiasm for it at the time. And if that is true, we have a completely different scenario on our hands.
If we had some serious journalists with access to him, this is the question they would ask: who got to you to cause from you dismissing the virus on March 9 to just one week later issuing the most extreme edict in American history that disregarded all rights and liberties? Surely he knows the answer.
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All that tells me is that we have become so politicized real leaders want no part of any of it. Reason is the insanity that has become our government. So down the road to ruin we go.
Oh FFS, will it never end with “Trump is the perfect angel uber-leader who is simply the victim of trusting everyone “?
Anyone with discernment is going to see him for what he is: a corrupt and incompetent buffoon.
He had his chance.
Oh FFS, will it never end with “Trump is the perfect villain and everything that happened was only and alone Trump’s fault“?
Oh, FFS, will it never end with we must have a mere mortal in the Holiest of Holies on High in Washington, DC, to save us from ourselves?
Abolish the state.
Trolling, trolling, trolling, m just keeps on trolling .
Not even convincing , m.
Don the con was conned? That is rich. When will you sheep quit making excuses for this idiot?
Sad to say in my area are a few “yard signs” , actually most placed at intersections of roads that read: “There is HOPE”.
The signs are sponsored by, at least the name of the church is indicated on the signs, a church that had Trump banners displayed on its property 2020. “Oh, well”.
Lord have mercy! I’m looking at the date on my computer right now and the year shows 2023. I swear it does. Check yours too.
Is there not anything more worthy to discuss than Trump’s allegiance to his country in 2020??
You have TWO, and only two, options on this man:
1. He completely bamboozled us.
OR
2. He was completely incompetent to handle a crisis in his country. And by crisis, I do not mean “covid”… I mean everything coming unraveled at the seams.
Either way, it doesn’t matter anymore. He was not, and is not, the man to lead this country through difficult times. Period. End of story. Now, what’s next?? 2023 y’all.
OR
3. You reject the dichotomy framing put up by others, and think for yourself.
Home Run, Abby.
Hugs on you. 🙂
Ms. Abbey, converted Texan.
Presidents are not in charge. They’re pretenders in chief. Paid actors whose job is to lie to the nation and pretend that they’re the ones making the important decisions. They’re nothing but willing puppets of the owners of the system. If any of them is crazy enough to go against heir masters they are murdered. Think about JFK and other US presidents that came before him and were also assassinated. The same applies to any other country in the world.
Maybe he was. Maybe he wasn’t. Don’t care. It’s the wrong question. Right question; “If Trump was tricked what did he do AFTER he found out he was tricked?” The article gives the answer;
He’s still defending it. Doesn’t he still call it the “great big beautiful vax”, or some similar shit? I believe so. And that’s why he’s a fucken piece of shit who should just STFU and leave us alone!!
Trump is still defending the decision to lockdown?
Link to such a recent Trump statement please.
Doesn’t matter, he never stopped pushing the vaccines over… and over…. and over… and over….. while the fraud and death data was/is pouring in.
EVEN worse, m…..Donnie kept pushing the death boosters and the shit shots. How do you defend that troll?
(I take that as a No.)
So does that make him a Hitler incarnate?
Well, ok. In some rural parts of Merika small business went to shit. But, you know, gubmit even under King Cyrus made up for it with somebody’s dollars. It’s only the poor slobs that worked at the closures got fucked. Please excuse the French.
buck- 50% of American small business went belly up.
So even PPP payments did not keep all floating. This county “accepted” about 27M PPP, 35,000 population census or thereabouts.
“We” vote Trump…not me bro.
You’ll notice he takes the same approach with GOD. It’s always argue and defend. It’s never confess and repent.
From his own mouth came the words, “I’ve done nothing in my life to repent of”.
NOT THE GUY I want leading MY country!
You referring to Mr. Trump? Donnie does no wrong. What do Merikans see in this guy? Bullshit?
Yes. I was referring to Trump. The whole shameful event was filmed and aired.
Your country? You’re delusional!
FAFO, bitch.
Fuck him and the rest of his NYC parasite show.
“NYC” should have disqualified him in the minds of 99% of Republicans at least. Sadly, it did not.
Being a queer nigger should have disqualified Obama. It did not.
If nothing else, this is teaching us a whole lot about the true Nature of our “Society” and I use that term loosely.
The part where Trump castigated the douche Brian Kemp for opening too soon was left out.
I see Kemp won his re-election bid. How’d that work out for Trump?
Oh, yeah…
:o(
Clicked on some of the Trump tweets. 99.9% of the replies were blaming him “for more deaths than all of Vietnam” and similar. Blows me away how the mass majority freaked out. I remember being yelled at at Fred Meyers for not wearing a face diaper. The world is so fucking stoopid.
I knew all of this Covid bullshit was a scam from day 1 and I live in a place that’s basically Bumfuck, Egypt. Trump knew what was going on, and did what his owners told him to do. And he had Jews everywhere around him and in Government, just like the Democrats. And hell will freeze over before I vote for that piece of shit from Florida, the one who also puts on his little black cap and preys at that damn Wailing Wall.
Voting at all seems to be the problem. Every time we do it, shit just gets worse.
An exercise in futility.
You’re right, but if voting really mattered, they wouldn’t let us do it. Mark Twain was right. All that theater about stolen elections is bull crap designed to distract, deceive, and divide. A show to keep fooling the masses into believing that they live in a democracy or democratic republic. Presidents are selected not elected.
The best political theater is Ford’s Theater.
We could have been rid of the fatties, but NOOOO …
Trump is run by the tribe and has been for a long time.
Who are enabled by the compliance of billions.
2nd generation Shabbos.
Horse before cart:
Fear was in the air and people and media were clamoring for it.
___
The “Fear in the air” was the product of the media.
The “solution in the air” (lockdowns) was also provided by media.
This resulted in brainwashed people clamoring for the lockdowns.
Tennessee never locked down, but the big democrat cities/counties did with a vengeance.
Iowa never locked down either, but there was some silliness. Especially revolving around doctors and major hospital chains whom these doctors are employed by. A scant few stores, grocery, Dollar General in my tiny town required masks for a few short weeks, then poof, all gone. But our governor more or less dictated we’d have none of this insanity.
Trump was playing 3-D chess. Using the same strategy as when he hired Sessions and Barr and that asshole director of the FBI.
If Trump were tricked, he has had plenty of time to admit it and separate himself from the entire Covid scam, but instead all I see him do is double down and support the jabs after they have been proven dangerous. No Trump is an insider, and not to be trusted.
Looking forward to Trump dropping out of the primaries a year from now.
I sincerely hope the Trump Org is totally fucked over by high interest rates as they try to roll over their debt.
Fuck him, his entire coterie, and his unending New Yorker line of bullshit.
Trump will never drop out…if not selected…as a third party run he will decide who gets selected.
He will be the ‘decider’…one way or another.
The Bull Moose got the Fed’s guy Woodrew the traitor Wilson elected…and depending on the lay of the land if needed…Trump will do the same in 24…and he will do it at Warp Freedon City Lockdown Speed.
While 35% of the seals are clapping…Book it Dano.
Agreed. The annoying part will be those who will follow him despite decades of deriding third party candidates and voting harder for “lesser evils” and toeing the standard two party uniparty line. It will all be okay now because it’s Trump.
Nobody ever went broke underestimating the stupidity of the average ‘Murikan.
No man is guaranteed tomorrow.
“Be of good cheer, Theo! It is the season of miracles!” – Hans Gruber, Die Hard
I can forgive him for the initial lockdown — he likely suspected COVID came from a lab and was a possible bioweapon with unknown long term effects. But after that he had to know that continuing with lockdowns would destroy the economy and country. Hindsight is 20/20 but I can understand what a hard decision he had to make.
For all his faults and mistakes, our choices now aren’t between Trump & perfection, they’re between Trump & DeSantis (in the primary) and later Trump (if he wins the primary) vs. a Democrat. DeSantis has had a solid Republican legislature (both chambers) his entire time as Gov, and has never confronted the national swamp and prevailed. Not sure he could stand in the pain box long enough to defeat them. Maybe, but I’m doubtful.
If you haven’t already had your fill, look into DeSantis, he’s affiliated with the Bush clan, Paul Ryan and even to some degree the WEF. Granted a few bits of that might be early mudslinging, but still…. Where there’s smoke….
This is Monday morning quarterbacking. Nobody knew how lethal covid was until people in this country actually came down with it. If it would have been quite lethal, and Trump had not suggested lock downs, the same people here would be castigating him for not locking down. By the way, it was the states that forced the lock downs, not Trump. My state, for all practical purposes, had no lock downs. Start your pissing and moaning and down votes in three, two, one, ….
Covid? What’s that fool? Please educate yourself.
President trump never shut down anything. The 15 days to slow the curve that became 45 had not one edict to close any business. Read it. It was recommendations about several common sense issues as teh pandemic emreged in our country. It was states , blue mostly, that edicted shutdowns of schools, churches, jobs etc.
Even still, he was soon pleading to get everything going again ASAP because he knew what was going on with the upcoming steal.
Trump was not tricked. He is controlled opposition and nothing more. We trusted this clown and with all the evidence out there he still does not recognize the effects of the bioweapon. He loaded his cabinet with the same people who made the vaccines. Trump will be known as the mass murderer he is. Remember how he drained the swamp. YEAH, he is really going to do it this time! Anyone who votes for this man is blind. If he was duped he is incompetent! The Zionist own this man just like they own Congress. He really stood up to them moving the embassy to Jerusalem.
“We trusted this clown”
Speak for yourself (and half the voting public).
From 2016 right through to today I have been astonished at people’s willingness to put trust and faith in this man , or any politician for that matter.
100% correct!
What he didn’t tell you was that in order to drain the swamp he would have to start by committing suicide, and then it would have been impossible. So he had to change his mind.
I won’t say one way or the other, what I will say is China, WHO and the CDC certainly lied and knowingly overstated the risks. So without knowing Trump’s mind, it is impossible to say yes or no.
Yet the whole thing sounds like a plan to discredit Trump and bring him down. It worked.
Remember the liberals believe never let a crisis go to waste.
Bring him down? Please, remember JFK? That’s how you bring a President down! When are most people going to wake up and realize that the left/right paradigm is nothing but a scam to divide them and have them fight each other instead of the real enemy that they all have in common?!
All of Trumps “advisers” were either grossly incompetent or in on the plan.
Auntie is going with in-on-the-plan. “Lockdowns” are nothing short of martial law. All of those calling for and implementing “lockdowns” are the enemies of humanity.