On Feb. 20, 2017, a series of “Not My President” rallies were held around the country in protest of President Trump’s January inauguration. Though the one-day gatherings were limited in nature, and did nothing but garner a few headlines, the phrase “not my president” stuck. From then until now, the rejection of Trump by vocal defiance has been a hallmark of this political era. But like it or not, the duly elected leader of our nation is the president of all Americans. This holds true whether the commander in chief is Republican or Democrat — and it certainly doesn’t change in a time of crisis.

The COVID-19 pandemic will surely go down as one of the most trying times in world history. The infection rate and death toll have been catastrophic in some countries. America’s rise to become the nation with the most infections (though we certainly can’t trust China’s numbers) is an unwanted reality no matter which side of the political aisle you’re on. In February and early March, Trump dismissed the seriousness of the coronavirus, betting on a very small number of infections and focusing on the economy, among other things. Thankfully, around mid-March, he changed his tune. Last week, the president extended the nationwide guidelines to April 30. And then on Tuesday, the president struck a somber tone, mentioning that some projections foresee a coronavirus death toll in America surpassing 100,000.