On Oct. 2, 2020, President Donald J. Trump and the First Lady, Melania Trump, announced they had tested positive for the coronavirus. Hope Hicks, the advisor to the president, tested positive herself, prompting the president to test for the virus. 

After finding out about the president’s positive test, 23 more influential politicians announced that they had tested positive as well. Some of these individuals include: former senior Trump political advisor Kellyanne Conway,  former New Jersey governor Chris Christie and University of Notre Dame president John I. Jenkins. Many of the people who tested positive for COVID-19 attended Judge Amy Coney Barret’s nomination ceremony for the Supreme Court on Sept. 26.

Although many important figures in the United States contracted the virus amidst the White House outbreak, the President and the CDC have not introduced any new permanent guidelines or made any remarks to stop the national spread of COVID-19.

However, despite no new safety procedures implemented, the American people received a clear, loud message. 

On Oct. 5, just three days after testing positive, President Trump tweeted , “I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 p.m. Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”

Keep in mind, the president has access to the best medical care available and received strong medication to help prevent the worsening of the virus in his body. The average American cannot afford such high level, expensive care at a nationally-ranked hospital. He displayed tone deafness in his post, not only on this matter, but also regarding the deaths in the United States.

As of Sept. 22, the United States surpassed 200,000 COVID deaths. The victims were all either sisters or brothers, mothers or fathers, best friends, children and the elderly. When President Trump tweeted to the nation and the world to not let the global pandemic “dominate” their lives and to not be afraid of a virus that has infected millions of people, there are clear issues with that.

Some of the people that he governs have lost multiple loved ones due to the pandemic, and even though he may believe it has no relevance to him, it most certainly does. As President of the United States, each and every person living in this country lives under his care. Insteading of relaying the idea that the world is completely safe and everyone’s lives can carry on without precaution, Trump should listen to those more educated than he, such as scientists doing everything in their power to research COVID-19 and ultimately find a vaccine or cure. In addition, he should be enforcing policies that ensure the safety of every American.  However, this does not seem likely, as the first thing he did upon returning to the White House was take off his mask, putting those around him at risk. 

Some people will take his word and  live their lives normally, in some cases carelessly, which may result in something that could have been prevented. COVID-19 is something that the whole world should take seriously. 

Mixed messages continue to come from the leaders of our country, but still there is no reason to act selfishly and put those around you in danger. Be careful and continue to act reasonably in times of a pandemic.