Shortly thereafter, former vice president Joe Biden’s deputy campaign manager and communications director Kate Bedingfield tweeted out a similar notice. “In accordance with guidance from public officials and out of an abundance of caution, our rally in Cleveland, Ohio tonight is cancelled,” Bedingfield advised. “We will continue to consult with public health officials and public health guidance and make announcements about future events in the coming days.”

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In short, the two Democratic contenders are speaking with experts and making informed decisions based on the well-being of their staff members, the press, local law enforcement and the public. Compare that to Trump, who insists, “It will go away. Just stay calm. Everybody has to be vigilant . . . be calm. It’s really working out.”

I have no idea what that means.

Trump is continuing to shake hands, according to Vice President Pence. (“In our line of work, we shake hands when someone wants to shake your hand. And I expect the president will continue to do that. I’ll continue to do that.”) Even worse, after Pence’s appearance, the Trump team announced the president would hold a campaign rally in Milwaukee on March 19.

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Trump continues to focus almost entirely on the economic ramifications of the pandemic, with nary a word or concern about the burdens on those already sick and those who care for them. Suggesting a bailout for the shale industry is virtually a self-parody of what a cold-hearted, money-obsessed president would want.

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Trump is so awful at leading in a crisis that, according to The Hill, Republican senators are begging him to put someone respected, such as Anthony Fauci of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, out in front. (“That was suggested because he has credibility. He speaks with authority. He has respect in the medical community. That’s what the suggestion was because this is a medical thing. It’s not a political crisis — though we can make one out of it.”)

Trump’s outbursts are so unhelpful and bizarre that even aides compelled to praise him to his face at public appearances feel obligated to correct him. Politico reported, “Robert Redfield, the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, said Tuesday that he was unaware of any indication from his agency that physical barriers along America’s borders would help halt the spread of the coronavirus in the U.S. — contradicting an assertion President Donald Trump made earlier in the day.” The notion that a wall could slow the spread of a virus is so ludicrous that one is forced to conclude Trump lacks even a rudimentary understanding of what we are up against.

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For the Democratic presidential contenders, now is the time to make clear to voters: Trump’s unfitness will have devastating effects on the health and wellbeing of Americans. Even Republican members of congress have conceded that Trump’s attempts to slash spending for the CDC, the National Institutes of Health and the Global Health Security Agenda, and leaving the National Security Council without someone responsible for disease epidemics, were grossly irresponsible. Democrats should not be shy about holding him to account for bad decisions, for downplaying an epidemic rather than acting expeditiously and for the mountain of false information he propagates. It is the best and most immediate evidence of his utter unfitness for the job.

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