(CNN) When the president fails America, we often turn to state governors in a desperate search for leadership.

This is what happened at the start of the Great Depression. When President Herbert Hoover failed to adequately acknowledge and confront the crisis, Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was then the governor of New York, took aggressive steps at the state level, setting up an emergency relief program, for example, to help the unemployed.

This is exactly what is happening now. Millions of Americans have already upended their lives. While the coronavirus pandemic claims an increasing number of lives and cripples our economy, President Donald Trump continues to spread disinformation and attack the press , which is working to get accurate, timely information to the public.

For those who were hoping Trump might rise to the occasion, it's likely that turning point may never come. Fortunately for the country, others are stepping in to fill the void.

We have seen strong examples of leadership from governors of both parties. Despite their flaws, a number of them have shined by making bold decisions, however unpopular they may be.