In before Tucker Carlson, the information that has just now been released to the public is certain to be used by the right as reason to claim Trump did not play a decisive role in the deaths of over 400,000 people from COVID. Make of that fact according to your own understanding of reality.
From the New York Times:
WASHINGTON — A federal watchdog has found that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, which drew national attention last year when the Trump administration fired its director, has been used for the past 10 years as a “slush fund” to cover expenses unrelated to its core mission of fighting health threats like Ebola, Zika and the coronavirus.
The 223-page report, issued Wednesday by the Office of Special Counsel, found that the Department of Health and Human Services diverted millions of taxpayer dollars intended for BARDA to finance vaccine research and pandemic preparedness into other government activities, and failed to inform Congress — a potential violation of federal law.
The 223-page report, issued Wednesday by the Office of Special Counsel, found that the Department of Health and Human Services diverted millions of taxpayer dollars intended for BARDA to finance vaccine research and pandemic preparedness into other government activities, and failed to inform Congress — a potential violation of federal law.
Reading the Times article in full is an absolute must for anyone interested in an accurate understanding of all the factors that came into play allowing a pandemic to sweep America. And if you really know how these things used to unfold before Trump, then you already know this will help you understand how that pandemic was also allowed to sweep the whole world, not just America.
Of course, the usual folks have already begun yelling Trump is off the hook now.
There is so much radioactive cunning in that, I'm not even going close to addressing that lie without first bracing myself for gamma rays from the right.
So, here's something people who never in their lives even have had a chance at making it to the top of any organization are most likely to fail to understand. At least, what follows is the 'law' of it. The reality is the same as it always is: No one is in a better position to break any 'law', formal or otherwise, than those who have power, celebrity, or money. I'm glad some people in such positions apparently do not.
The top always bears 100% total responsibility for the consequences of anything done by those below them with the sole exception being there is no conceivable way they could have used their power and influence to have changed what those people did or did not do, nor to have even used their knowledge at the time as warning to resign before the people below them did or did not do it.
At most, someone else is also responsible for those consequences. But nothing diminishes the top's complete responsibility, and nothing can ever logically do so.
In effect, if you are on top, you're totally responsible, unless you can correctly argue your position was solely and honorary one, and you had no involvement, nor could have had any involvement, in what the people in your organization were up to.
Anyone want to argue Trump was solely an honorary president? After all, he did spend 315 days on the golf course. And that's just for starters. Maybe someone thinks they could make a case?