It's His Job To Critique the President. How Do You Do That During a National Emergency?

<p>The question of who’s to blame for the mess we’re in with coronavirus is not a fun one. It’s clear that the U.S. response has been pretty terrible on a number of fronts: the testing component has been a disaster, as has the lack of preparation regarding medical equipment, from personal protecting gear to ventilators. And then there’s the president, who’s public statements have mostly been erratic.&nbsp;</p><p><br></p><p>As Tom Edsall <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/01/opinion/coronavirus-politics-election.html?referringSource=articleShare" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">wrote</a> in the New York Times, Trump "has lurched from complete denial (“<a href="https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2020/3/13/21176535/trumps-worst-statements-coronavirus" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear</a>”) to “I am not responsible” to “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-meeting-republican-senators-2/?utm_source=link&amp;utm_medium=header" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">We’re doing a great job</a>” to “<a href="https://www.msnbc.com/deadline-white-house/watch/trump-coronavirus-will-disappear-one-day-like-a-miracle-79636549723" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">It’s going to disappear</a>” to “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-meeting-republican-senators-2/?utm_source=link&amp;utm_medium=header" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">It will go away</a>” to awarding himself a <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/coronavirus-trump-gives-himself-a-10-out-of-10-score-2020-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">10 out of 10</a> to calling the unavailable tests “<a href="https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/03/trump-coronavirus-testing-as-perfect-as-ukraine-call.html" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">PERFECT</a>” to claiming “<a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/remarks-president-trump-usmca-celebration-american