Trump's colourful personality certainly didn't help but I think a lot of the reason for the failed COVID response doesn't lie with the individual leader but rather with the material conditions of the US.
In an environment where prohibitive costs makes healthcare inaccessible to a large part of the population you can expect many to shy away from seeking medical attention as long as they can. The inhumane working conditions faces by many people are also a problem. With sick days as heavily rationed as they are in US America people are not going to do the responsible thing and call in sick if they feel unwell. Instead they're going to work sick and infecting their colleagues.
The predatory nature of society also creates a culture of toxic individualism. People are used to being on their own and to society trying to fuck them over. They're not used to being helped out to experience solidarity. There is no cohesion and people are taught from an early age that other people by default are out to get them and that it's smart and chill not to care about your fellow human beings. This makes it hard to get people to follow even moderate hygienic recommendations like wearing masks or social distancing.
The US covid response was also a massive failure due to the lack of democracy in the US political system. Power is de facto held by the oligarchs who funds campaigns and owns the media. These oligarchs are concerned with their own short-term financial gains and will not be willing to accept effective measures like lockdowns.
None of these things were something that came with Trump and Clinton certainly wouldn't have changed them. Covid is decimating the US because the system is sick and brutal, not because a single individual leader was bad.
Trump's colourful personality certainly didn't help but I think a lot of the reason for the failed COVID response doesn't lie with the individual leader but rather with the material conditions of the US.
In an environment where prohibitive costs makes healthcare inaccessible to a large part of the population you can expect many to shy away from seeking medical attention as long as they can. The inhumane working conditions faces by many people are also a problem. With sick days as heavily rationed as they are in US America people are not going to do the responsible thing and call in sick if they feel unwell. Instead they're going to work sick and infecting their colleagues.
The predatory nature of society also creates a culture of toxic individualism. People are used to being on their own and to society trying to fuck them over. They're not used to being helped out to experience solidarity. There is no cohesion and people are taught from an early age that other people by default are out to get them and that it's smart and chill not to care about your fellow human beings. This makes it hard to get people to follow even moderate hygienic recommendations like wearing masks or social distancing.
The US covid response was also a massive failure due to the lack of democracy in the US political system. Power is de facto held by the oligarchs who funds campaigns and owns the media. These oligarchs are concerned with their own short-term financial gains and will not be willing to accept effective measures like lockdowns.
None of these things were something that came with Trump and Clinton certainly wouldn't have changed them. Covid is decimating the US because the system is sick and brutal, not because a single individual leader was bad.