I can think of 25 reasons right off the top of my head why Trump should be removed from office in November. There are probably a hundred. I think his degradation of democratic norms and his authoritarian impulses are the most important but I’m going to guess that it’s much less salient for most people than his overwhelming incompetence at dealing with a major crisis.
People can have different definitions of what constitutes presidential authority and we’ve been arguing about whose dissent should be respected since the beginning of the republic. But I think the vast majority of the public will find this cavalier disregard for Americans lives, obvious inability to understand even the basic logic of an epidemic, his dismissal of scientific expertise and his general flailing and ineptitude may have finally opened the eyes of some people who reflexively believed that Republicans are “the grown-ups” who are naturally more competent to lead the country.
So, I think this is the line of attack that may have the most resonance. As far as I’m concerned, he is the worst president in history by every possible measure. But apparently, many people bought the Fox News hype. This pandemic response, however, hits home and I suspect quite a few of his voters may be having second thoughts.
He is responsible for more American deaths than any president in history. That’s one record he can legitimately claim.