The United States is facing an alarming spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. This is a time for sober-minded leadership as we hope to get through the next few months with as low a death toll as possible as the vaccine begins to get distributed more widely next year. Unfortunately, the current crisis is being made even worse by the fact that the government officials tasked with leading us through this health crisis have lost the public’s confidence and respect.

Multiple reports in just the past week have revealed blatant acts of hypocrisy committed by leaders who would like to live by a different set of rules than their constituents. In California, for example, Gov. Gavin Newsom was caught attending an indoor birthday party at a fancy French restaurant in the Bay Area after discouraging Californians from gathering with groups of more than 10 people.