Trump’s ‘Sharpiegate’ with Hurricane Dorian was a preview of his COVID-19 distortions

What do “Sharpiegate” and President Trump’s obsession with the discredited coronavirus treatment hydroxychloroquine have in common? In retrospect, practically everything. The way in which Trump mishandled a dangerous hurricane foretold exactly how months later he would approach the deadly pandemic that has so far claimed the lives of more than 155.000 Americans: by disseminating--and defending against all scientific evidence – blatantly false misinformation.

Now that hurricane season is back upon us in the Carolinas, it recalls last August, when Dorian, a massive Category 5 hurricane battered the Bahamas with winds of 185 mph, yielding the worst natural disaster in that country’s history. As the behemoth bore down on the southeast coast, President Trump took to Twitter, warning of its approach and, for reasons known only to him, included Alabama in his list of states that would be hit “(much) harder than anticipated.”

This news alarmed Alabamians, who began contacting their local national weather service bureau, which (unaware of the source for the false reports) issued an immediate disclaimer. Dorian was not headed for Alabama. So far, an honest mistake. A slip of the twitter tongue.

But then, as confirmed in a recently released report from the Commerce Department’s Inspector General, the White House sprang into action. Then-Chief of Staff Mick Mulvaney ordered Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to undo the weather service’s contradiction of Trump’s tweet.

The president himself appeared in the oval office with a map, crudely altered by a black Sharpie, “proving” Dorian had been headed for Alabama. Two days later, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration issued an unsigned letter stating that the Birmingham disclaimer had been technically “incorrect.

Later, NWS director Louis Uccellini defended the Birmingham office for ”acting to “stop public panic” and “ensure public safety.” NOAA acting chief scientist Craig McLean said “what concerns me most is this administration is eroding the public trust in NOAA for an apparent political recovery from an ill-timed and imprecise moment from the president.” All this could’ve been avoided if the president had simply said “I misspoke.”

In normal times, the National Weather Service, FEMA, and state governors cooperate to provide accurate assessments of the potential threats of hurricanes, and (with some major exceptions) to preside over orderly sheltering in place, evacuation, timely restoration of services, temporary housing, and delivery of food and health supplies. This is what we want and trust government to do.

Today, If you insert names like “Fauci” and “Birx” for “Uccelini” and “McClean”, the pattern is clear. Trump has addressed the pandemic of a century with relentless disregard for scientific expertise. And as it has been since day one of his presidency—when his underlings ordered the National Park Service to release doctored photos showing his inauguration crowd to be larger than President Obama’s—he is enabled by a cult of kowtowing minions in high places who jump at the chance to say up is down, or black is white.

With Dorian, little harm was done by Alabamians momentarily believing a killer storm was bearing down on them. In the case of Covid-19, Trump’s consistent denial of the threat, his promotion of phony cures and magical thinking, his suppression of data, and his dismissal of all bearers of negative news in the media as “fake” has reaped incalculable damage to the health of the country.

It has also threatened his re-election chances. So who knows what he will do next? But the storms are coming. Batten down the hatches.

This story was originally published August 9, 2020 at 12:00 AM.