By Chloe Clegg
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred political leaders to action, making both national and state politics the center of media attention. However, not all politicians agree on how to best tackle this national emergency. In an era of fierce political divisiveness, the COVID-19 pandemic is no exception. As states grapple with different proposals to begin reopening, a clear partisan line develops.
According to The New York Times, 22 of the 29 states starting to reopen have Republican governors, while 18 of the 21 states maintaining their stay-at-home orders are led by Democrats. In the earlier stages of the outbreak, partisanship played a much smaller role; the median Democratic and Republican governor took about the same amount of time to issue statewide orders after the first reported case of COVID-19 in their state. Considering traditional ideological differences, the divide between the Democratic and Republican approaches to reopening makes sense. Democrats prove much more likely to support public health measures, while Republicans customarily prioritize business and the economy. However, defeating the virus will require a unified approach across the U.S, a responsibility President Donald Trump does not seem prepared to take on.
Criticized for turning his nightly briefings into virtual campaign ads, Trump has even alienated his constituents, many of whom have urged him to limit his briefings in fear of losing votes before November. Going so far as to label these briefings propaganda, CNN and MSNBC have refused to air the full briefing, instead cutting out when Trump veers off track. Moreover, Trump’s leadership has failed to impress the public as well; a CNN poll reports 55% of Americans say the federal government has done a poor job in preventing the spread of coronavirus.
Despite Trump’s polarizing approach to navigating the virus, not all of his fellow Republican politicians share his view. A surge of moderate Republicans, along with former President George Bush, have called for a bipartisan approach to managing the crisis, a strategy that will ultimately benefit the country in the long run. Our bond as Americans far surpasses our political differences, and the government has a responsibility to its citizens to look beyond petty politics and lead the nation through the crisis threatening our lives and livelihood.