The good news is that we have world-class professionals available to us. Our political leaders should let them do their jobs.

The Trump administration stumbled out of the blocks responding to this threat. In a public health emergency, fear and misinformation can spread just as quickly as a virus. The president confused the public with his statements minimizing the threat of coronavirus and his contradictions of the experts. He also submitted a budget proposal just weeks ago that would cut $30 million from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s funds for public health preparedness and $3 billion more from the National Institutes of Health. If passed into law, these cuts would significantly compound this crisis. The White House should never have suggested such an inadequate budget in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.

President Trump also politicized this issue at a campaign rally, although he is not the only one to do so. Some of my fellow Democrats have done the same by pouncing on Mr. Trump’s remarks to win political points rather than treating this situation with the gravity and unity it deserves.

Now is not the time for political gamesmanship. The American people want politicians in Washington to stop bickering, tone down the talk, and pull together to save lives. We might have different opinions on the effectiveness of the coronavirus response so far, but ultimately, our views are not the ones that matter. The public health experts who are leading this response are the voices we need in this crisis.

Coordination and clear communication are critical to reassure the public. Our political leaders need verbal discipline, a respect for scientific findings, a commitment to transparency, and a coherent communication strategy during these times — or they will confuse and frighten the general public. We must rely on our outstanding public health experts. I trust the Health and Human Services physician-scientists and public health leaders working on this issue, including Dr. Anthony Fauci at N.I.H. and both Dr. Anne Schuchat and Dr. Robert Redfield at C.D.C. The coronavirus response coordinator in the White House, Dr. Debbie Birx, is also a highly respected expert who has led our global response to H.I.V./AIDS in past administrations.