Trump has continuously undermined the experts we need to keep the coronavirus from killing us: op-ed

As the coronavirus continues to pop up in new places around the globe, questions swirl over whether or not President Trump will have the tools to handle a potential outbreak in the US. Writing for The Atlantic this Thursday, Ronald Klain isn't all that optimistic.

"The U.S. government has the tools, talent, and team to help fight the coronavirus abroad and minimize its impact at home," Klain writes. "But the combination of Trump’s paranoia toward experienced government officials (who lack 'loyalty' to him), inattention to detail, opinionated rejection of science and evidence, and isolationist instincts may prove toxic when it comes to managing a global-health security challenge."

If Trump wants to protect Americans from what looks to be an impending global outbreak, he'll have to turn to the government experts he's disparaged in the past and set aside "his own terrible instincts, lead from the White House, and work closely with foreign leaders and global institutions—all things he has failed to do in his first 1,200 days in office."

While we still don't know how things will develop, Klain points out that the news surrounding spread of the coronavirus is worrisome, with reports suggesting that the number of cases in China has already reached the hundred of thousands -- much more than the Chinese government has reported. Countries are reporting that people who haven't even been to China are now infected.

"What will Trump do about it?' Klain asks. "His track record offers us two data points, one horrible and one merely disappointing."

Read the full piece over at The Atlantic.