Donald Trump’s re-election strategy had two potential paths this week. The first path would save millions of jobs, turn Trump into a populist hero for many and perhaps prevent another depression. The second path would court chaos, playing up the partisan divide, deflecting all blame for the coronavirus pandemic onto the media, China and the Obama White House, and praying that it ends up being enough to obscure his administration’s disastrous lack of preparation.

It’s a testament to Mr. Trump’s callousness that at this decisive moment, he chose the second path.

Already we see the carnage. Last week, more than three million Americans filed for unemployment benefits, in part because of a sclerotic government response to the virus shutdown.

It didn’t have to be this way. Mr. Trump could have pressured Congress to join European leaders — including the Tory-led British government — and proposed to “freeze” the American economy in place. Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom have all committed to paying at least part of workers’ salaries if their companies don’t lay them off.

The American bailout bill does far less for workers or the small businesses that employ them, while larger corporations reap expansive benefits.