Letters to the Editor: Trump is No. 1 in headlines that start with ‘president lashes out’

To the editor: After reading what feels like the 1,000th headline beginning with “Trump lashes out,” it’s time America reaches the consensus that even a lunatic wouldn’t claim that “everything we did was right.” (“Trump stokes up his blame game for the coronavirus,” April 13)

President Trump repeatedly failed as a businessman until finding success as a provocative reality TV host. Repeating the act, he’s cobbled the presidency into a series of TV cameos calibrated only by the “ratings.” The networks allow their correspondents to be insulted like professional wrestlers to keep the ratings going.

Instead of taking Trump seriously, the American people should enjoy the last few months of the show, then cancel the series in November.

Eric Alter, Woodland Hills

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To the editor: It is a basic principle of management — accountability cannot be separated from authority. If you are in charge of something, you are answerable for the results.

Trump claims that his authority over states is “total.” His claim is laughable, given that he has consistently denied any responsibility for any shortcomings in the federal response to the coronavirus crisis.

His stock in trade is to blame everyone and anything else for his failures, not to accept the fundamental responsibility that authority requires.

Marcia Goldstein, Laguna Woods

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To the editor: Our country has more than 24,000 deaths and leads the world in coronavirus infections. Yet our president proclaims, “Everything we did was right.”

He looks at the world and at our country through one narrow and vainglorious lens: How will his actions affect his ratings and his reelection campaign?

When the economy needed to be shuttered for the health and safety of all of us, he turned it over to the governors since it would be seen as a huge negative. But when it comes time to reopening the economy and getting all the praise, he proclaims that “the president of the United States calls the shots” and that his “authority is total.”

Mission accomplished.

Ken Goldman, Beverly Hills

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To the editor: Trump is the undisputed master of lashing out. It is how he does his job as president.

His long, fractious briefings endlessly attacking the media and the governors of blue states who have been tirelessly working pretty much on their own have not served him well. He is not only acting like a privileged monarch, he is also losing his battle to persuade the American people that he is a great leader in this time of crisis and uncertainty.

Should he actually fire Dr. Anthony Fauci, it would produce widespread disgust and anger among the electorate, and it would drive one more self-inflicted nail into his political coffin.

Bette Mason, Corona del Mar