It is starting to get really scary.

There are people within our government infrastructure who do understand the danger COVID presents right now in late summer – they sit on the COVID Task Force, helpfully. Yesterday, they met with Trump, for the first time since April (!), in an attempt to get Trump to “get it.” It apparently didn’t work. Trump fundamentally doesn’t want to hear it.

As some members of the task force tried to stress the dire nature of the situation to the president during the meeting, the source said Trump repeatedly attempted to change the subject.

“He starts talking about something else,” the source said.

— Jim Acosta (@Acosta) August 5, 2020

“He starts talking about something else,” is about as dangerous a phrase as one could put in that paragraph. Trump cannot even be forced to deal with reality if it doesn’t align with what he previously had believed, or needs to believe, in order to keep his world structured. If things get bad enough, if reality pierces his narrative cleanly enough, he will simply change the subject.

Now Trump is angry that the entire thing was leaked – and he must now know that his Task Force is speaking to the media:

.@CNN has no sources on the Task Force. Their “sources” are made up, pure fiction! Jim Acosta is a Fake reporter!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 5, 2020

There are two or three explanations for the fact that Trump simply changes the subject, one possibility for which is one we’ve examined here frequently:

He also (as you know) doesn't give a shit about anyone else. Lives lost don't weigh on him emotionally the way it would any decent person, even when he is the one responsible for the death toll, which he is.

— Charles Chapman (@CharlieBChapman) August 5, 2020

Another thought is that it is basic immaturity. This is what kids do when they are confronted with a situation that they don’t want to deal with.

Because of his mental illness he is unable to accept any situation that reflects badly on him – so he ignores it. He literally is sticking his fingers in his ears and shouting 'not listening not listening' as Americans die every minute of every day due to his inaction.

— Dave Bagnall 🇬🇧 (@djbsuffolk) August 5, 2020

Whether it is due to mental illness or simple immaturity, we can’t know but the result is the same and it’s horrific. If there was another nation wanting to make a move on us geopolitically, now would be a perfect time, Trump can’t be bothered with reality right now.

He doesn't want to know about it. To him it's an annoyance. He'd rather be campaigning and golfing. We all know the position is too much to handle. He only wanted bragging rights.

— michaelrh 🏳️‍🌈 (@fgsweetdog) August 5, 2020

This. Life is a game to Trump. The object of the game is to win, not help people. He wants to “win” (so much “winning”), and there is nothing to “win” here. So he can’t be bothered to tune in. As we reported last week, being president isn’t much fun for him right now, and if he doesn’t see how it could be fun again, it’s possible he will drop out.

Regardless, it is very easy to believe that upon being confronted with just how dire the situation is across the country, Trump … tries to change the subject.

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Peace, y’all
Jason
[email protected] and on Twitter @MiciakZoom