As the novel Coronavirus continues to devastate lives and economies around the world, President Trump has sought to assert himself as a “wartime president” leading a nation under attack by an “invisible enemy.” It is a clear effort to boost his own re-election bid by weaponizing the “rally round the flag” effect, a phenomenon which suggests that war tends to increase a sitting president’s popularity. The President’s approach to his ‘wartime presidency,’ however, is unique for its use of internationally divisive actions and rhetoric, which threaten the safety of the American people and the global community.
President Trump’s belated invocation of the Defense Production Act, or DPA, has given him powers necessary for directing a concerted effort to save American lives. However, some of his directives under these powers have also obstructed important medical equipment from reaching those in need around the world. One directive, issued in early April, made FEMA approval necessary for all US exports of certain types of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Jennifer Hillman, a senior fellow on the Council of Foreign Relations, argued that this would “clearly work to the detriment of the world’s ability to distribute these scarce medical resources to where they are needed most with the minimal amount of red tape.”
Beyond this, President Trump has sought to force US-based manufacturers to increase imports of PPE produced overseas, while decreasing exports of locally produced PPE. This naturally comes at the expense of dire international medical need. In early April, The White House demanded that the American company 3M import millions of masks produced in Singapore back to the US; the company in turn argued that doing so would prevent frontline workers in Asia from gaining access to critical protective equipment. The company also warned that ending US exports of respirators to Canada and Latin America (an action that the White House had pressured 3M to do) could trigger a humanitarian crisis and retaliatory action. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau similarly asserted that the reduction of US trade in medical goods with Canada would be a “mistake”, pointing out that the US also relies on flows of essential healthcare supplies and medical personnel from Canada.
President Trump also drew criticism following reports in March that he had attempted a takeover of a German pharmaceutical company with the intention of securing exclusive rights to a potential vaccine. Though CureVac, the company involved, denied that this took place, both the German government and the CureVac’s main investor confirmed that an offer had indeed been made. The incident prompted strong condemnation from German officials, with one stating that “International co-operation is important now, not national self-interest.”
Countries will naturally try to secure first pickings of vaccines to protect their own population and establish governmental legitimacy, but experience with the H1N1 virus demonstrates that competition for vaccine supplies can lead to severe global inequity. This becomes increasingly problematic when richer countries hoard vaccines which poorer countries desperately need to prevent further and unnecessary loss of life. In this light, the US’ participation in such vaccine competition is particularly jarring given the country’s announcement that it would not be involved in a “landmark collaboration” effort to speed up the development of a successful vaccine, and ensure its equitable distribution.
Arguably, the most distressing element of the ‘wartime president’s’ conduct thus far has been his designation of one ‘enemy’ in this ‘war’. The President has insisted on referring to the virus as the “Chinese Virus”, and continually propounded the theory that the Coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab. More bafflingly, when recently questioned over his erroneous claims regarding the state of US coronavirus testing, he responded that the reporter should “ask China” why people are dying because of the pandemic.
President Trump’s criticism of China has plunged relations between the two countries to a new low, with some experts even suggesting that existing tensions may herald the start of a new cold war. It is difficult to see how such hostility might soon resolve itself. With the President’s continual insistence on reopening the US economy regardless of the human cost, it is not difficult to guess who he might pin the blame on should infections and deaths in the US begin to spike again.
The coronavirus is an unprecedented pandemic that has emphasized the interconnectedness of our modern world. Focusing on the assignment of blame and narrow self-interest will only cause needless distraction from the urgent effort necessary to prevent further loss of life. It would serve this ‘wartime president’ well to remember that the ‘war’ he fights is not against people, but a virus, and that the US is not alone in this battle – nor can the country, for that matter, “win” purely by its own effort. After all, until at least the end of June, 55 million of the masks 3M will be providing the US every month will be imported from plants primarily based in China.