I was listening to a news cast about President Trump’s medical treatment at Walter Reed hospital and how his personal physician said that he was doing well and might even be discharged today. This is in spite of the fact that he is supposedly on a course of Remdesivir which is a five-day course of medication that is normally administered in a hospital so they can monitor side effects and possible adverse reactions. He was admitted to the hospital on Friday so one wonders why he would be discharged on Monday prior to the completion of the full course of medication.
And then I saw that he got into his motorcade to do a lap around Walter Reed so he could wave to his supporters and the press. I’m sure the two Secret Service personnel driving Trump were thrilled at being in a closed-up vehicle with an individual who is still highly contagious with COVID 19. But, then again, Trump probably views the agents as expendable and the President got a small dose of adoration that he so desperately needs, so I’m sure he views it as a good use of is time and hgovernment personnel. The attending physician at Walter Reed was livid at this display of ‘irresponsible behavior.’
One has to wonder why someone would pull such a stunt. And then it dawned on me as I was watching all of this unfold. Trump’s life is all about optics – how things look; what the ratings are; what is any particular action going to do to his ‘brand.’ So, in this instance, he is more concerned with appearing to be well than actually taking steps to ensure his well-being and those around him. This is no doubt why there has been a stream of conflicting information coming from the White House and Trump’s personal doctor. As seems to always be the case with information coming out of this administration, it is all about appearances – facts be damned.
Trump wanted people to think he was wealthier than he actually is and was a more successful businessman than he really is, but the publication of his tax information blew a hole in that façade. Not only is he not as rich as he would like everyone to believe, but the fact is he is in debt to the tune of over $400 million to some, at this point, unknown creditors. The emperor has no clothes!
Most people who were in the President’s situation at Walter Reed would follow the advice of the medical professionals, stay in the hospital until the medical professionals told them it was safe for them to leave and, most importantly, would remain in isolation and avoid contact with anyone not wearing full PPE to avoid further spreading the virus. But Trump will be Trump and must put on a show, no matter the cost to other people or himself.
I think this is the trait about Trump that will be his ultimate downfall – physically, financially and politically. Trump’s biggest problem is that he will never admit he is simply a human being like the rest of us. All of us normal humans have strengths and weaknesses. We all get sick from time to time. We all make mistakes. We all know people who are smarter than we are in some areas. We all know people who are more talented in some areas. In short, we are all human.
Trump, on the other hand, tries to portray himself as one who is not human. If you look back on his speeches, they are filled with hyperbolic statements about how he is the greatest, the smartest, the richest. Remember shortly after he took office and he made the statement that he knew more about ISIS than the generals? Really?
Most of us have made peace with the fact that we are, in fact, humans and as such we have all of the normal attributes of humans. We are fallible. We make mistakes. We get ill. Sometimes we do stupid things. Most of us can laugh at ourselves. But Trump, for whatever reason, just cannot admit that he is human with all of the attendant characteristics.
He can’t admit to making any mistakes. He routinely claims that he is smarter than everyone and knows more about any given subject than experts in the field. Even though he got (read “bought”) deferments from the military, he routinely touts his bravery and courage. He continues to tell the tale about how he is a self-made businessman when the facts are that he received over $400 million from his father, filed for bankruptcy six times and is in a place financially where no American bank will loan him money. His entire life has been about building a façade around his ‘brand’. There is no reason that we should expect anything different about his health or medical treatment.
If Trump were still a ‘developer’ being driven around Manhattan in a limo, trying to get his mug in the NYT society pages, and being a ‘reality TV’ star, his obsession with optics wouldn’t really matter. If the house of cards collapsed it would only result in more bankruptcies and negative press. But now that he is president of the United States, this obsession of optics over substance makes the stakes so much higher.
As long as Trump will not admit that he is a mere mortal, warts and all, like the rest of us, he jeopardizes the country, all Americans, himself and everyone around him. Right now, I would just like a real human being in the White House.
I know a few days ago in one of these posts I said that I would prefer anyone, a Republican, a Democrat, an Independent or even Mr. Ed, the infamous talking horse from the 60’s TV series, as president over Trump. I made a mistake. I’d prefer a human. My apologies to Mr. Ed.
“Being human is difficult. Becoming human is a life-long process. To be truly human is a gift.” Abraham Heschel.