While vast swaths of the country are under stay-at-home directives, many others are not.

Any wonder that, in addition to being ineffably horrified at this scourge, the American people are bewildered and demoralized over the utter lack of cleareyed leadership from the president — particularly as clarity and resolve are what they want most from the commander in chief, now more than ever.

Mark Godes

Chelsea, Mass.

To the Editor:

Mr. President,

You extended the stay-at-home edict for the month of April just the other day, but you did not use your power to make it mandatory. As of this writing, 20 states still do not require their citizens to stay at home. As a result, your hope that the country will only have 100,000 deaths or at most 240,000 deaths may be misleading the public.

If you ride in a gas-filled balloon and you patch 60 percent of the holes but allow 40 percent to remain, your balloon will come crashing down, killing you in the process. This is exactly what you are doing because of your lack of leadership in not mandating that all 50 states and U.S. territories impose a stay-at-home edict and require nonessential business to shut down, not for the month of April but for the months of April and May and possibly June.

If you fail to take immediate action you will most likely be killing hundreds of thousands of Americans. Forget the economy; the health of Americans is your first priority.

John Lemandri

Williamsburg, Va.

To the Editor:

I expect that the Democratic Party leadership calculates that presenting its own Covid-19 briefing would demean the office of the presidency in a period of crisis when unity is essential. Too idealistic. President Trump trashed the reputation of the office long ago, and unity is of no concern to him. Ratings are his only concern.