“Don’t be afraid of COVID. Don’t let it dominate your life,” said President Donald Truth as he left Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. After contracting COVID and having had a 72-hour hospital stay this is what he had to say. Not the slightness bit of humbleness or gratefulness was in his words. He is still downplaying the virus even while COVID is attacking his body and hitting members of his administration one after the other. He is still denying the severity of the coronavirus even though he received treatment consisting of multiple doses of remdesivir, dexamethasone, and other experimental drugs plus oxygen that all Americans can’t get. One would have thought Trump would have changed a little after this attack to his health. But what we got was the same old Trump.

On last Friday when Trump tweeted that he and his wife had been diagnosed with COVID the tweet literally went all around the world leaving Americans with two different opinions. Half of Americans felt sorry for Trump and wished him a speedy recovery. Others questioned whether he actually had COVID. Some thought it was more fake news coming from the White House in an elaborate publicity stunt to gain sympathy and get people to stop talking about his taxes, the Proud Boys, and his racist statements. Opinions only changed when he was admitted to Walter Reed. Americans then believed that he might actually have COVID. Uncertainty was still in the air when no real information was given about Trump’s because it is very difficult to assess anything coming out of the White House.

It is so disheartening to know that thousands could have been saved from this global pandemic if the “chief-in-charge” had simply opened his mouth and gave the country a warning. But instead, he waits several months allowing the virus to take over the country damaging human life, the economy, and every system as we went on lockdown. “I’ve always known this is real-this is a pandemic. I felt it was a pandemic long before it was called a pandemic…I’ve always viewed it as very serious.”

Your definition of serious doesn’t line up with the country’s definition. Over the past few months, you have put and continue to put thousands upon thousands of people in danger of COVID with these crowded rallies where masks are not required to press briefing where no social distancing is practiced. You have mad fun of former vice president Joe Biden for wearing a mask. We know you only care about yourself. We know you don’t care about Americans but I didn’t think anyone imagined that you didn’t care about the people in your inner circle. First Lady Melania Trump, top aide Hope Hicks, Utah Sen. Mike Lee, North Carolina Sen. Thom Tillis, Trump's debate sparring partner, and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, former Trump counselor Kellyanne Conway, megachurch pastor Greg Laurie, president of the University of Notre Dame John Jenkins, Assistant to Trump Nicholas Luna, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel, Campaign manager Bill Stepien, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany, and other unnamed White House staffers and journalists all have COVID due to involvement with Trump. Yet, he still feels blameless.

His lack of empathy has caused an outraged in homes where families are missing their loved ones who are currently trying to overcome COVID and the grief is especially bad in the homes where a loved one died from COVID. Families are feeling mocked, disgusted, angry, disregarded, and insulted over how Trump views the life of others. Instead, he tells Americans that he had to get COVID as a leader but did not want to appear weak. Really? Who gets COVID because they wanted to have it? Ladies and gentlemen, what do we call that? Fake News for $100 Alex.

Although Trump has said several times that COVID is big deal, it seems he honestly believe that it will just magically go away with the puff of some fairy dust. Not only is COVID not going away, but it is having a resurgence in several states.

I don’t think there has been an American president in all of history who treated all citizens of this country and people of other nations so poorly. America has become a big joke in the eyes of many since January 2017. Now we have the opportunity to bring back integrity, decency, class, empathy, and diplomacy to the White House with our vote. If the country is in this bad shape after four years of Trump imagine what eight years would look like. We don’t need another four years of Trump because we already know how to make America great again by showing Trump the door.

Early voting in Texas begins Oct. 13-Oct. 30 and Election Day is November 3rd. Check your registration status and be sure to vote.