Trump, COVID-19, and the War on Expertise
| Author | Paul E. Rutledge |
| Published date | 01 August 2020 |
| Date | 01 August 2020 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/0275074020941683 |
| Subject Matter | Executive Leadership & FederalismExecutive Leadership in Times of Crises |
research-article2020
Executive Leadership in Times of Crises
American Review of Public Administration
2020, Vol. 50(6-7) 505 –511
Trump, COVID-19, and the War
© The Author(s) 2020
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on Expertise
https://doi.org/10.1177/0275074020941683
DOI: 10.1177/0275074020941683
journals.sagepub.com/home/arp
Paul E. Rutledge1
Abstract
In times of crisis, the American public looks to the president for leadership that will usher the country successfully to the
other side of troubled times. There is a long history of presidential actions to lead the nation successfully through times
of crisis. Abraham Lincoln’s leadership during the Civil War preserved the Union, just as Franklin Roosevelt’s leadership
during both the Great Depression and World War II restored the nation toward a future of peace and prosperity defeating
threats to both the economy and security at home and abroad. Currently, the public looks to President Donald Trump for
leadership through the COVID-19 global pandemic, which is presenting a direct threat to the health and economic security
of the nation. This article will examine the leadership of Donald Trump throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Specifically, the
focus will be on Donald Trump’s relationship with advisors and the extent to which he is using their shared expertise both
for informing the public and in crafting policy responses to COVID-19.
Keywords
presidency, crisis management, bureaucracy, expertise
Presidential Leadership and Expertise
assembled a highly qualified team of Ivy League educated
in Times of Crisis
“whiz kids” that he relied heavily upon to navigate the
Cuban Missile Crisis (Kennedy & Schlesinger, 2011). Many
In no other time is presidential leadership more important
presidential decisions involve interactions with a small
than in times of crisis. Presidents who have faced crisis have
group of advisors. How the president manages his group of
relied tremendously on expertise and advice from within the
advisors has tremendous consequences on the ability to
executive branch to navigate crisis situations. Abraham
make decisions, especially during crisis. Decision-making
Lincoln, perhaps serving as the best example, exerted tre-
in crisis situations takes place in the interaction between
mendous leadership in ushering the nation through the Civil
political and bureaucratic leaders to reach a collective deci-
War. Franklin Roosevelt promised the nation a New Deal in
sion (Boin et al., 2005; Hult & Walcott, 2009; Stern &
response to the Great Depression, and during his first 100
Sundelius, 1997). Groups of advisors within which there is
days in office ushered policy solutions through Congress at
high conflict can foster both pressure to conform to the dan-
a tremendous pace to offset the economic downturn and suf-
gers of “groupthink” and/or allow decisions and pronounce-
fering among the public. John Kennedy showed a steady
ments that have not been thoroughly vetted (Boin et al.,
hand of leadership through the Cuban Missile Crisis in
2005; Hult & Walcott, 2009).
1962, navigating a tumultuous showdown with the Soviet
Donald Trump’s management of the executive branch and
Union over the presence of offensive weapons in Cuba.
his interaction with advisors has been unique in American
Each of these crises was navigated brilliantly by effective
history. Before even launching his campaign, Trump (2015)
presidential leadership. However, each of them also did not
offered his hostility toward the administrative state, tweeting
lead alone. Instead, they surrounded themselves with capa-
that “Bureaucratic red tape and overregulation are discourag-
ble advisors who would provide expertise that helped inform
ing the American dream.” Trump continued this hostility
their responses to the crisis. Lincoln famously assembled a
with campaign promises of deregulation, elimination of
“team of rivals” to provide expertise in the critical battle to
administrative barriers to business interests, and promises to
not only save the Union embroiled in Civil War but, further,
to establish an agenda for lasting reform that would main-
1University of West Georgia, Carrollton, USA
tain it after reconstruction (Goodwin, 2005). Roosevelt,
among all of his strengths, was perhaps strongest in his abil-
Corresponding Author:
Paul E. Rutledge, Associate Professor and Chair, Department of Civic
ity to “assemble and sustain a remarkably talented and
Engagement and Public Service, University of West Georgia, 1601 Maple
staunchly loyal team that would remain together in the years
St. Carrollton, GA 30118, USA.
ahead” (Goodwin, 2018, p. 66). John Kennedy similarly
Email: prutledg@westga.edu
506
American Review of Public Administration 50(6-7)
deconstruct the administrative state (Lipton & Applebaum,
whether there was concern about a possible pandemic at this
2017; Rucker & Costa, 2017; Shafran & Rimes, in press).
point. President Trump’s response was much more bold and
Such an approach was appealing to the Trump right-wing
optimistic than anything coming out of the WHO at the
populist base that holds more authoritarian beliefs and breeds
time. Trump responded to Kernen’s (2020) question by say-
resentment toward intellectualism (Steger, in press). Attacks
ing “No, not at all. And—we’re—we totally have it under
on the administrative state are not new, as they come directly
control. It’s just one person coming in from China, and we
out of the Republican playbook. However, Trump’s attacks
have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.” The follow-
on what he consistently refers to as the “deep state” are far
ing day, on January 23, the WHO declined to issue a global
more extreme and often arise from questionably credible
health emergency as a result of COVID-19 but did acknowl-
sources advancing what could best be described as conspir-
edge the potential for the outbreak to become an emergency
acy theories (McIntire et al., 2019; Shafran & Rimes, in
(WHO, 2020).
press). Particularly problematic has been Trump’s (2018) use
As the virus began spreading both within and outside of
of twitter to disparage the federal bureaucracy, spreading
China, by the end of January, the WHO declared a global
conspiracy theories about the “criminal deep state” plotting
health emergency and urged countries to begin preparations
against him. Donald Trump’s skepticism and outright hostil-
for widespread availability of rapid testing (Perez-Pena &
ity toward the administrative state have left career bureau-
McNeil, 2020). On January 29, Dr. Mike Ryan, the head of
crats demoralized, created record turnover rates in appointed
the WHO’s Health Emergencies Program, stated that “The
positions (Tenpas, 2020), and caused a trend of expertise
whole world needs to be on alert now. The whole world
leaving the federal bureaucracy (Shafran & Rimes, in press).
needs to take action and be ready for any cases that come
As the remainder of this article makes evident, Trump’s dis-
from the epicenter” (Keith & Gharib, 2020). The following
position and management of the administrative state have
day, at a campaign rally in Iowa, President Trump stated that
had tremendous implications for the federal response to the
“We only have five people. Hopefully, everything’s going to
COVID-19 pandemic.
be great. They have somewhat of a problem, but hopefully,
it’s all going to be great” (Keith & Gharib, 2020).
Trump, COVID-19, and the War on
Throughout the month of February, in spite of cases
Bureaucratic Expertise
spreading rapidly outside of China and the alarm bells that
were being sounded from the WHO, Trump continued to
Donald Trump’s hesitance to rely on or worse yet outright
downplay the threat of the virus to the United States. In a
hostility toward bureaucratic expertise to combat the February 2nd interview with Sean Hannity, President Trump
COVID-19 pandemic began long before the pandemic itself
stated that “We pretty much shut it down coming in from
had started. President Barack Obama created the pandemic
China” (Factbased Videos, 2020b; Keith & Gharib, 2020a).
response office as part of the National Security Council
On February 13, in an interview on Fox News with Geraldo
(NSC) in 2016. National Security Advisor Jon Bolton, whom
Rivera, President Trump said that “In our country, we only
Trump appointed in April 2018, disbanded the pandemic
have, basically, 12 cases, and most of those people are recov-
response office as part of an effort to streamline NSC opera-
ering and some cases fully recovered. So it’s actually less”
tions. The decision to disband the pandemic response team
(Factbased Videos, 2020a; Keith & Gharib, 2020b). Trump
happened in spite of stringent objections from Luciana Borio,
also downplayed the threat posed by the virus on Twitter. On
then director of the medical and biodefense preparedness
February 24, Trump (2020a) tweeted “The Coronavirus is
team of the NSC, who claimed that a flu pandemic was the
very much under control in the USA.” In standard outlets,
number one threat facing the nation’s health security. Borio,
President Trump took every opportunity to downplay the
and many others with associated expertise in pandemic
threat of the virus even as the news became more ominous
response, left the...
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