The advice from experts on how we can contain the coronavirus crisis in the United States is pretty clear: Practice social distancing, cancel large gatherings, wash your hands regularly, avoid unnecessary travel or visits to public settings, and, importantly, limit your physical contact with others as much as possible. If we all follow this advice, we can help flatten the curve and keep the coronavirus limited to within the constraints of what our healthcare system can manage.
There’s just one problem: Too many of our prominent political leaders are actively undermining expert advice with the behavior they’re displaying in the public eye. From President Trump to New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, our leaders are failing to lead by example during the coronavirus crisis.
Just today, de Blasio was seen hitting the gym, publicly flouting expert recommendations. Only hours after the city announced major restrictions on public businesses, including gyms, the mayor was spotted at the local YMCA, apparently getting in a workout. So the message here is that you lowly, everyday New Yorkers need to give up your routines and make sacrifices, but of course that doesn’t apply to King de Blasio, who just had to get his favorite exercise routine in, or something.
Among comments from New Yorkers walking by who saw his security detail. “Is the mayor really working out.” “He shouldn’t be here.” “What an idiot.”
— andrew kaczynski? (@KFILE) March 16, 2020
Suffice it to say this kind of hypocritical leadership is not the way to get people to comply and limit the virus successfully. But de Blasio is far from the only culprit, and it’s not just Democrats to blame by any stretch.
At one of Trump’s recent press conferences addressing the coronavirus response, he and members of his circle repeatedly flouted responsible practices and continued to shake hands, pat backs, and more. This directly contradicts the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s recommendations.
Everybody should be “social distancing” bit Trump – who has recently met with at least one person who has tested positive for COVID-19 – shakes folks by the hand at the national emergency announcement. pic.twitter.com/pcy1XoC13g
— Carlton Reid (@carltonreid) March 13, 2020
Beginning of clip: Man on left coughs into his hand
End of clip: Man shakes Trump’s hand pic.twitter.com/wTMFB7gkZt
— woolleanto (@woolleanto) March 14, 2020
And this isn’t just a few natural moments of forgetfulness. It’s a conscious decision to flout medical advice.
Vice President Mike Pence told CNN: “In our line of work, you shake hands when someone wants to shake your hand. I expect the president will continue to do that. I’ll continue to do it.” Trump himself was asked about it and, while he admitted shaking hands isn’t the best thing to do right now, said he doesn’t really see himself stopping: “Somebody comes up to you, they put their hand out, you probably tend to shake it.”
This is poor leadership. It sends the wrong message to everybody watching at home to see top health officials recommending one thing, yet the Trump administration openly doing the opposite.
And don’t let Joe Biden off the hook either.
We are a resilient country and will certainly get through this crisis. But it sure would help if our political leaders could start practicing what they preach.
