With just a few days left to go in the month, the number of deaths due to Covid-19 has already skyrocketed, crossing April's high and marking December to be the deadliest month in the United States ever since the pandemic began. Hospitals across the country are overflowing with patients, employment rates have been plummeted to the lowest since 2008 slowdown and states losing out on stimulus packages while awaiting presidential signature for providing unemployment benefits.
Now, as nearly 331 million American people are left lonely at the helm of the worst health crisis ever seen in recent decades, dealing with the increasing severity of the pandemic all alone, their "good leader", the outgoing President Donald Trump is busy holidaying at his Mar-a-Lago club in Palm Beach in Florida.
The leaderlessness of the States further came to forelight when vice-president Mike Pence in addition initiated his holiday plans, along with nearly fifty Secret Service agents, who reportedly booked rooms at the Grand Hyatt Vail and other locations around the Vail Valley, Colorado, and ski instructors at Beaver Creek Resort for the upcoming weekend.
Trump's busy Christmas week
Trump has rebranded the past Christmas week as a 'busy' one, by throwing the COVID-19 relief bill into doubt, pardoning war criminals and dubious pals, threatening Iran, and vetoing the annual defence bill against top Republicans' wishes, and that is the reason why he has chosen to golf during the New Year, unfortunately, at a time when most families across the state are unable to put a cake on the table to celebrate the occasion owing financial stiffness.
While Trump traveled to his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida on Wednesday for the holiday, the White House informed that he would work "tirelessly" for Americans.
"As the Holiday season approaches, President Trump will continue to work tirelessly for the American People. His schedule includes many meetings and calls," the White House said in a statement as it released Trump's daily schedule for the holiday. And off course, not to forget, golfing has always remained an important part of his busy schedule, either the occasion may require a leader visiting, doing administrational works or simply enjoying family holidays.
As per his itinerary, Trump, by Thursday morning, was headed to his golf club in West Palm Beach. As per media reports, his motorcade pulled into the Trump International Golf Club at 10:18 a.m. (local time), marking his 317th day visiting a golf course as president.
In short, the outgoing president sowed chaos in the nation's capital, skipped town, and headed off to work on his drive.
Though Trump had promised his countrymen during his 2016 campaign that he would "rarely leave the White House," as per records, he has spent nearly a year on the golf course so far.
Now, as far as the fate of the COVID-19 stimulus bill is concerned, which it is set to expire next month and desperately requires an immediate assistance for Americans who've been hammered by the pandemic, it is still in limbo after Trump rejected its measures.
Federal officials say 'I don't care'
According to media reports and latest pictures going viral over the internet, it has been found that Trump's officials have also donned the holiday fever just like the president himself. RealVail.com, a military jet loaded with vehicles reportedly landed at the Eagle County Regional Airport on Tuesday while Pence flew on Air Force 2 to Vail Valley on Wednesday. A day later, press secretary Kayleigh McEnany posted a beach photo from Florida, along with her husband, to further tease the countrymen during the times of need.
It is well-defined that Trump and his administration will leave in the next few days, handing over the much needed presidential power to president-elect Joe Biden, but the message of leaving a State with no leader to care for the people, especially when they need him the most, may probably prove to be further damaging for the former who is still not ready to accede power to the next government elected to take over the reins in January.
Trump's mishandling of the coronavirus pandemic was once again certified after the month of December began with recording 259,697 deaths so far across the country. On December 23, the total was calculated to be 317,513. That puts the total deaths reported so far this month at 57,683—over April's record.
According to media reports, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has declared that 2020 as the deadliest year in US history— with 3.2 million deaths, a 15 per cent jump over last year, the largest percentage increase since the flu pandemic of 1918 and World War I that caused a 46 per cent increase. It is possible, though not certain, that this month will also mark a turning point in the pandemic—a peak of cases and hospitalizations to which the country hopefully never returns.
