The “pure madness” in America’s response to the coronavirus pandemic is the “perfect cover” for President Donald Trump to “hoard power and boost his chances of reelection,” former Labor Secretary Robert Reich argued in a video released on his YouTube channel Wednesday.

“Donald Trump has spent a lifetime exploiting chaos for personal gain and blaming others for his losses,” said Reich, a commentator who served in the administration of former President Bill Clinton.

Reich detailed how Trump is attempting to capitalize politically from “shortages of equipment to protect hospital workers, dwindling supplies of ventilators and critical medications” and “jaw-dropping confusion over how $2.2 trillion of aid in the recent coronavirus law will be distributed.”

He noted how the president has given preferential treatment to states whose governors have flattered him, attempted to reject independent oversight of his administration’s response to the crisis and made sure his name appeared on stimulus checks.

“There should never have been any doubt that Trump would try to use this crisis to improve his odds of reelection,” Reich said.

Check out the clip here: