“We did the exact right thing,” says our glorious leader

So why does the U.S. have 4 percent of the world’s population and 22 percent of coronavirus deaths? [View in browser](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP4QqAWh0dHBzOi8vbWVzc2FnaW5nLWN1c3RvbS1uZXdzbGV0dGVycy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS90ZW1wbGF0ZS9vYWt2Mj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDIwMDgyNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMTY0NiZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJnByb2R1Y3RDb2RlPU5LJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zNjk4NiZ0ZT0xJnVyaT1ueXQlM0ElMkYlMkZuZXdzbGV0dGVyJTJGZDM3YTIyOTUtZGI1MC01ZDljLWI1ZDgtNDM1ZGI2MDkyZjBlJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKADZA-0Zf_DpcK1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA)|[nytimes.com](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0SyaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1JmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMjAwODI3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIxNjQ2Jm5sPW5pY2hvbGFzLWtyaXN0b2YmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM2OTg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~)[Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-ad-marquee) ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTkwJmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ [NYTimes.com/Kristof](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TIaHR0cDovL3d3dy5ueXRpbWVzLmNvbS9jb2x1bW4vbmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDIwMDgyNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMTY0NiZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zNjk4NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKADZA-0Zf_DpcK1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) August 26, 2020 President Trump on Monday at the Republican National Convention in Charlotte, N.C.Doug Mills/The New York Times [Author Headshot](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY29sdW1uL25pY2hvbGFzLWtyaXN0b2Y_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAyMDA4MjcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjE2NDYmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzY5ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgA2QPtGX_w6XCtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) By [Nicholas Kristof](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TJaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vY29sdW1uL25pY2hvbGFzLWtyaXN0b2Y_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAyMDA4MjcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjE2NDYmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzY5ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgA2QPtGX_w6XCtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Opinion Columnist Whew! I’d worried about the coronavirus, but we’re fine! I’ve been watching the Republican National Convention, and it turns out that while everyone else stood helpless before the pandemic, our national lodestar, President Trump, stepped up and saved millions of lives. That’s the narrative emerging from the convention, with Trump insisting that “we did the exact right thing” and “we saved millions.” He has moved seamlessly from the fantasy that the virus will “go away” to the fantasy that he has already dispatched it. Yet this is such a grotesque manipulation, dishonoring the deaths of almost 180,000 Americans, that I decided to [take it on with my column](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOC8yNi9vcGluaW9uL3RydW1wLXVzLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAyMDA4MjcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjE2NDYmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzY5ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgA2QPtGX_w6XCtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). As the eminent health expert Dr. Peter J. Hotez told me: “The Trump Administration is responsible for the single worst public health failure in the last 100 years.” [Please read!](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOC8yNi9vcGluaW9uL3RydW1wLXVzLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAyMDA4MjcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjE2NDYmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzY5ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgA2QPtGX_w6XCtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~) Meanwhile, a Real Health Triumph — Against Polio While Trump fakes a success against the coronavirus, there’s an authentic one to celebrate: [Wild poliovirus has been eradicated in Africa](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TmaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOC8yNC93b3JsZC9hZnJpY2EvcG9saW8tYWZyaWNhLWVyYWRpY2F0ZWQuaHRtbD9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDIwMDgyNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMTY0NiZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zNjk4NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKADZA-0Zf_DpcK1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA). That’s a tribute to the work of the World Health Organization and to U.S. funding to W.H.O. for polio eradication. It saddens me that Trump has cut off funds for W.H.O., which is leading the fight against polio, for then the viruses win. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-0) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTg3JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTg5JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTYxOTg4JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ An Authentic Hero at Home I was truly moved by the [comments](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TUaHR0cHM6Ly90d2l0dGVyLmNvbS9OaWNrS3Jpc3RvZi9zdGF0dXMvMTI5ODQwNDQ2NjM0MTkyODk2Nj9jYW1wYWlnbl9pZD00NSZlbWM9ZWRpdF9ua18yMDIwMDgyNyZpbnN0YW5jZV9pZD0yMTY0NiZubD1uaWNob2xhcy1rcmlzdG9mJnJlZ2lfaWQ9Nzc2NzQ5NTImc2VnbWVudF9pZD0zNjk4NiZ0ZT0xJnVzZXJfaWQ9YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDdXA255dEIKADZA-0Zf_DpcK1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) of Julia Jackson, the mother of Jacob Blake: “A house that is against each other cannot stand. To all the police officers, I am praying for you and your families. To all of the citizens, my Black and brown sisters and brothers, I am praying for you … Let’s use our hearts, our love and our intelligence to work together to show the rest of the world how humans are supposed to treat each other.” It was an extraordinary show of grace, but it’s tragic that after police shootings so many mothers of young Black men have to summon such grace. Unfortunately, He Has a Point Predictably, I haven’t been much impressed by the speakers at the Republican National Convention, but I think there was one that should make progressives pause and think. That’s [Nicholas Sandmann](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAyMDA4MjcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjE2NDYmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzY5ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3JnY9UkVSTkRqd3Y3RFVXA255dEIKADZA-0Zf_DpcK1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA), the young man who was filmed with a M.A.G.A. hat next to a Native American drummer on the Washington mall. You may remember that there was a progressive rush to judgment, assuming that Sandmann was bullying or mocking the Native leader; Sandmann was widely denounced as an entitled jerk. In fact, the fuller video showed that interpretation was wrong and unfair, and Sandmann was justified in warning about this kind of stereotyping based on someone wearing a M.A.G.A. hat. It’s a reminder that wherever we fall on the political spectrum, we’re all vulnerable to selection bias. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-1) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTI4ODA4JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTI4ODA5JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9MTI4ODEwJmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Into the Wild … Virtually My last column was my annual column from the wilderness, and I heard from so many readers — many of them elderly, their hiking days behind them — who found pleasure in vicarious journeys into the outdoors. So if you’re looking to escape vicariously into the wild, two suggestions. Check out [“Journeys North,”](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TKaHR0cHM6Ly9iYXJuZXlzY291dG1hbm4uY29tL2Jvb2tzL2pvdXJuZXlzLW5vcnRoP2NhbXBhaWduX2lkPTQ1JmVtYz1lZGl0X25rXzIwMjAwODI3Jmluc3RhbmNlX2lkPTIxNjQ2Jm5sPW5pY2hvbGFzLWtyaXN0b2YmcmVnaV9pZD03NzY3NDk1MiZzZWdtZW50X2lkPTM2OTg2JnRlPTEmdXNlcl9pZD1hYTQ5MWVmN2YxZDk2NGU0OTc5ZmI3ODRlNzRlMDFkN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~) a new book by my occasional backpacking companion, Barney Scout Mann, about the Pacific Crest Trail. And check out [this YouTube video](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TFaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cueW91dHViZS5jb20vd2F0Y2g_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAyMDA4MjcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjE2NDYmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzY5ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3JnY9TjNWdWlVQVJTZmdXA255dEIKADZA-0Zf_DpcK1IbdHJpc3RyYW1iYWxkd2luOTBAZ21haWwuY29tWAQAAAAA) by my daughter, Caroline, about our family’s backpacking adventure; as readers helpfully pointed out (but, psst, don’t tell my editors), it was better than my column! Help With Reporting? Given the slowdown in the Postal Service, I’m guessing that some Americans haven’t received vitally needed medicine on time through the mail, and that this has led to hospitalizations or worse. I’d like to find cases like that, involving serious ailments. If you have any leads, email me. [Continue reading the main story](#a11y-skip-2) ADVERTISEMENT ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4Njk1JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4Njk2JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ ~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0RtaHR0cHM6Ly9saXZlaW50ZW50Lm5ld3lvcmt0aW1lc2luZm8uY29tL2NsaWNrP3M9NzI4Njk4JmxpPU5LJm09YWE0OTFlZjdmMWQ5NjRlNDk3OWZiNzg0ZTc0ZTAxZDcmcD1OS18yMDIwMDgyN1cDbnl0QgoANkD7Rl_8OlwrUht0cmlzdHJhbWJhbGR3aW45MEBnbWFpbC5jb21YBAAAAAA~ Back to Our Glorious Leader and His Defeat of the Virus I’m truly disheartened by what seems to me a grotesque effort by the Trump team to rewrite history and claim a great victory in defeating the coronavirus. The larger issue is Trump’s hostility to scientific expertise, and we see that with his obliviousness to climate change even as California is in flames and a hurricane pounds Texas and Louisiana. I’m a great believer that journalists are not stenographers and that we have an obligation to try to correct the record and convey the truth as we understand it. So that’s why [I wrote today’s column](~/AAAAAQA~/RgRhKYBAP0TeaHR0cHM6Ly93d3cubnl0aW1lcy5jb20vMjAyMC8wOC8yNi9vcGluaW9uL3RydW1wLXVzLWNvcm9uYXZpcnVzLmh0bWw_Y2FtcGFpZ25faWQ9NDUmZW1jPWVkaXRfbmtfMjAyMDA4MjcmaW5zdGFuY2VfaWQ9MjE2NDYmbmw9bmljaG9sYXMta3Jpc3RvZiZyZWdpX2lkPTc3Njc0OTUyJnNlZ21lbnRfaWQ9MzY5ODYmdGU9MSZ1c2VyX2lkPWFhNDkxZWY3ZjFkOTY0ZTQ5NzlmYjc4NGU3NGUwMWQ3VwNueXRCCgA2QPtGX_w6XCtSG3RyaXN0cmFtYmFsZHdpbjkwQGdtYWlsLmNvbVgEAAAAAA~~). Please do read. 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