The Washington Post editorial board used an analogy about a burning house to sum up President Donald Trump s chaotic and widely criticized response to the coronavirus pandemic.

In a column published Thursday, the newspapers board said the United States is reeling from an absence of leadership by Trump and his administration.

As the house burns, Mr. Trump is standing on the front lawn, boasting of success, denying responsibility, ordering others to grab the garden hose and promising that everything will be back to normal soon, the board wrote, warning: His fecklessness is costing the country dearly.

The board noted in its column headlined Trump is pushing to reopen too soon. The consequences could be tragic . how the U.S. has now reached the very difficult crossroads of continuing to fight the spread of the virus while cautiously restarting the economy.

It expressed significant doubt about whether Trump was up to the job, however, given how the president has essentially passed responsibility to the governors, is now urging them to reopen too soon, risking more infections, more death and still more economic loss.

The nations economic implosion demands action, but the correct response is to reopen in a way that is sustainable and does not cost thousands of additional lives, the board concluded. Mr. Trump not only does not know how to get there, but he also appears unwilling to seriously tackle the problem. We may soon see terrible consequences from his abdication.

Read the full editorial here.

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