"The Con Man Behind The Curtain"

"[Coronavirus] is a massive failure in leadership that stems from a massive defect in character. Trump is such a habitual liar that he is incapable of being honest, even when being honest would serve his interests. He is so impulsive, shortsighted, and undisciplined that he is unable to plan or even think beyond the moment. He is such a divisive and polarizing figure that he long ago lost the ability to unite the nation under any circumstances and for any cause. And he is so narcissistic and unreflective that he is completely incapable of learning from his mistakes.

"The president’s disordered personality makes him as ill-equipped to deal with a crisis as any President has ever been. With few exceptions, what Trump has said is not just useless; it is downright injurious.

"The nation is recognizing this, treating him as a bystander... Donald Trump is shrinking before our eyes.

"It has taken a good deal longer than it should have, but Americans have now seen the con man behind the curtain. The President, enraged for having been unmasked, will become more desperate, more embittered, more unhinged. He knows nothing will be the same. His administration may stagger on, but it will be only a hollow shell. The Trump Presidency is over."

 —Peter Wehner, The Atlantic, March 13, 2020