I don't think the important issue here is whether some countries responded better than the U.S., or some responded similarly, or some lagged behind. I don't think the response of other countries is the standard we should use in judging our president's response. It's not good enough to say that we should grade on a curve and we should give the federal response a "gentleman's C" just because some other countries didn't do much better. We should have higher expectations than that.
Trump is the one who said he was the best person to lead this nation in a crisis. Trump didn't say "If there's a crisis, I will muddle along somewhere in the middle, not as good as South Korea but arguably better than Brazil." Rather, he said, "I alone can fix it." He said, "We're going to win so much you're going to be sick and tired of winning." He said he would "make America great again." We have the right to hold him accountable for the success he promised, not for doing about the same as Italy.
In a national crisis, our nation rightfully ought to look to the President to lead a successful response. This is the job Trump signed up for. He loves the power and the attention and the trappings that come with the Presidency. But the job also involves responsibility and duty. This crisis was the time when he needed to take the responsibility and do his duty. This moment called for Trump to rise to the occasion, to become the leader we needed. We have the right to hold him accountable for not being that leader.
Trump is the one who said he was the best person to lead this nation in a crisis. Trump didn't say "If there's a crisis, I will muddle along somewhere in the middle, not as good as South Korea but arguably better than Brazil." Rather, he said, "I alone can fix it." He said, "We're going to win so much you're going to be sick and tired of winning." He said he would "make America great again." We have the right to hold him accountable for the success he promised, not for doing about the same as Italy.
In a national crisis, our nation rightfully ought to look to the President to lead a successful response. This is the job Trump signed up for. He loves the power and the attention and the trappings that come with the Presidency. But the job also involves responsibility and duty. This crisis was the time when he needed to take the responsibility and do his duty. This moment called for Trump to rise to the occasion, to become the leader we needed. We have the right to hold him accountable for not being that leader.