Remember the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020? Of course, you do — that was a time not easily forgotten. And do you remember the shortage in the U.S. (and elsewhere) of test kits, when the manufacturers couldn’t keep up with the demand?

And I’m reasonably certain you also remember Donald Trump pooh-poohing the entire spread of the virus — the one that took some 350,000 lives in the United States that year alone — as no big deal, easily cured by injecting your body with a few doses of antiseptic.

Well, let’s give the old boy the benefit of the doubt, and assume he was simply trying — in his own, inimitable, really stupid way — to prevent a nationwide panic. (And in the process kill off a few more people who might have bought into that antiseptic thing.)

Or maybe . . . unbelievably . . . he really believed his own hype, and had convinced himself that there was nothing to worry about.

Then why . . . in either of those cases . . . why in the name of all that’s holy did he send those scarce COVID test kits to — of all the people in the world — Vladimir Putin??!!!

Or so says Bob Woodward in his forthcoming book, War, as first reported on Tuesday by both CNN and The Washington Post — and now by practically everyone.

Putin’s germaphobia is no secret; and during the height of the COVID pandemic, pictures of him seated alone at one end of an impossibly long table — as far away from other humans as possible while still in the same room — filled the news media. So it stands to reason that he would be thrilled to receive whatever supplies — diagnostic, preventive, curative — he could get his grubby little hands on. But he didn’t ask for them. Not from Trump, at any rate.

No, these were a gift from Donnie to his good friend Vlad for the latter’s personal use, unsolicited but accepted with appreciation. And it was Putin’s choice to keep it secret, so that the American people wouldn’t be angry with Trump. Or so the story goes.

*. *. *

And now we have the classic “he said / he said” situation. Because Trump, as expected, denies that it ever happened.

“That’s false,” he said about Woodward’s report. “He’s a storyteller. A bad one. And he’s lost his marbles.” [Jonathan Karl, Kelsey Walsh, Soo Rin Kim and Lalee Ibssa, ABC News, October 8, 2024.]

But you see, the thing is . . . the Kremlin has confirmed that Trump did indeed send Putin COVID-19 testing equipment during the height of the pandemic. [Ivana Saric, Axios, October 9, 2024.]

And — oh, goody! he’s back! — Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, in a written statement to Bloomberg, said that “we also sent equipment at the beginning of the pandemic.” [Id.]

Now add to this the further allegation in Woodward’s book that Trump has had “as many as seven” telephone calls with Putin since leaving office. Holy crap! He thinks he’s still president!

That particular detail is denied by both Trump and Peskov, who — according to the Russian state news agency TASS — said simply that it’s “not true.” [Id.]

Of course — and I’m sorry to have to say this, Dima — you know we can’t always take 100% of what you say as gospel. I mean, look at who you work for.

Meanwhile, Trump’s campaign spokesman Steven Cheung, categorically denying Woodward’s allegations, offered this:

“None of these made-up stories by Bob Woodward are true and are the work of a truly demented and deranged man who suffers from a debilitating case of Trump Derangement Syndrome.” [Id.]

Wow! So The Donald now has an actual disease named after him. And it describes him perfectly. Cool.

*. *. *

Now enter President Biden and Vice President Harris. During a speech in Pennsylvania on Tuesday, Biden — in addressing this specific question — asked, “What the hell’s wrong with this guy? Did you ever … see … a president who’s been so unethical as this president has been?” [Id.]

Vice-President (and presidential candidate) Kamala Harris also had a few words to offer during an appearance on Stephen Colbert’s The Late Show on Tuesday:

“I ask everyone here and everyone who is watching: Do you remember what those days were like? You remember how many people did not have tests and were trying to scramble to get them? . . . And this man is giving COVID test kits to Vladimir Putin? Think about what this means on top of him sending love letters to Kim Jong Un. . . . He thinks, well, that’s his friend. What about the American people? They should be your first friend.” [Id.]

And speaking about Trump generally, and his open admiration for dictators and authoritarians, she said, “He gets played by these guys. He admires so-called strongmen, and he gets played because they flatter him or offer him favor.” [Id.]

*. *. *

So — after all of the mishegas — what it boils down to is this: Whom do you believe? Noted, respected, award-winning, Watergate-breaking journalist Bob Woodward? Or lying, cheating, delusional, Putin-admiring, convicted felon Donald Trump?

Hmm . . . let’s see now . . .

Just sayin’ . . .

Brendochka
10/9/24