New York Magazine - USA (2020-03-02)

march2–15, 2020 | newyork 13

inside: The blockchain’s new power twins / Stories from Hollywood’s underclass

asaprivategermophobeandverypublicxenophobe,
DonaldTrumphastheintuitivedispositiontograsptheseverity
ofa globalepidemicthatoriginatedinChina.And yet in the
earlystagesofwhat may explodeintoa full-blowncrisis, Trump
is makingit clearthatheis nottheChurchillofthecoronavirus.
Whateverattributeshepossessesthat suithimtothetask are
overwhelmedbynegativequalities:profoundsuperficiality,
a paranoidfixationonloyalty, anda near-pathological focus on
short-termgratification.
Trumpinheritedfromhispredecessora large andcapable corps
ofdisease-preventionexperts,includingoneswhoguided the
countrythroughthe 2014 Ebolaoutbreakanddeliberately pared
it back.Several officialsincharge ofpandemicresponse—Home-
landSecurity adviserTomBossert; Dr. LucianaBorio,the National
SecurityCouncildirectorformedicalandbiodefense prepared-
PHOTOGRAPH: ness;andTimZiemer,theNSCseniordirectorforglobal health

ANDREW

CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP

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IMAGES

TheNationalInterest:

Jo nathanChait

ThisIs Fine

Asthe worldreaches

fo r facemasks,

Trumpburieshis

head in the sand.

At the coronavirus news conference.