Trump To Bail Out Italy As USA Struggles To Survive Him

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President Donald Trump has frequently dismissed the need for boosts to the U.S. Coronavirus response, but this Saturday, his administration announced a plan to send Coronavirus response assistance to Italy, which has been particularly hard hit by the virus. As of early Saturday, Italy has the second highest individual country death toll in the world, second only to the U.S. amidst the Coronavirus pandemic. The U.S. assistance for Italy will include telemedicine facilitation, development of field hospitals, and treatment of patients afflicted with ailments other than the Coronavirus, which has swamped the country’s medical system capacity. The some 30,000 U.S. military personnel on bases in Italy will deliver the U.S. aid.

As the White House put it:

‘Although the United States Government’s first and foremost responsibility is to the American people, coming to the aid of Italy will help fight the COVID-19 outbreak and mitigate the impact of the crisis, while simultaneously demonstrating United States leadership in the face of Chinese and Russian disinformation campaigns, lessening the risk of re-infection from Europe into the United States, and maintaining critical supply chains.’

It would be great if the Trump administration prioritized something other than “U.S. leadership” abroad while Americans suffer and die in the wake of the Trump team’s incessant, obsessive inaction at home.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo added:

‘This critical assistance will not only help the Italian people, but will also bolster global trade and supply chains. We are all in this together, and only through transparency, cooperation, and mutual support will we be able to defeat COVID-19.’

Reportedly, Italy requested the aid from the U.S, and the aid package will also include technical assistance for the Italian health system via the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and support for Italian businesses and other struggling organizations operating in Italy. Besides Italy, the Trump administration has also produced Coronavirus response support for the United Kingdom, which has also been hit hard and requested — and apparently received — some 200 ventilators from the U.S. Ventilators have been in high demand in light of the respiratory nature of the Coronavirus illness.

Domestically, the Trump administration has frequently fumbled the distribution of these key supplies. The president’s team has been accused of using ventilator shipments as part of some kind of de facto “patronage” set-up between the president and Republican leaders around the country like Colorado Senator Cory Gardner.

As reporter Josh Marshall explained:

‘Across the country the President is confiscating supplies from states and hospitals and handing them out as patronage to political allies and favorites.’

Have these political affiliations weighed on the president’s international Coronavirus response aid distribution decisions as well? Answering that question may prove especially difficult as Trump frequently declines to adhere to even the most basic standards of oversight. Amidst the pandemic, he’s already derided the creation of a new House committee for dealing with Coronavirus response issues as part of a supposed witch hunt. Not even a deadly global pandemic will get Trump to abandon his political rants.