This edition of “Our Voices” was written by Pastor Tony Ares. 

America is so tribalized that many view the President’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis through a political lens. If you watch Fox News, you probably think he is doing his best under an impossible circumstance. If you watch MSNBC, you probably are hoping for his resignation. Despite the two separate narratives that are being propagated in the media, there are objective standards to gauge how well the President is actually performing during this crisis.

There are various books and models regarding the topic of crisis management. No two approaches to Crisis Management seem to be identical. Experts in crisis management may use different terms but most have the same basic framework for handling a crisis. They are: Preparation, Assessment, Action, Tracking and Communication.

You can never be prepared for everything. You only have so much time in the day. However, a good leader has done the necessary preparation commensurate with the risks, threats and vulnerabilities. Once a normal problem or trouble has manifested into a full-blown crisis, one must assess its depth or intensity. Actions to mitigate the crisis must be assessed and then executed upon. After the actions begin, tracking must occur to gauge whether the actions are the proper prescription. Finally, communication is key to all impacted or the crisis may worsen.

Regarding COVID-19 preparation, funding has not been robust during the Trump Administration. In fact, the administration has proposed cuts to the CDC time and time again. During the assessment phase of the crisis, the President gave a speech where some could construe his words as saying the crisis was a “hoax”. He has taken action, but most experts say that the actions of the U.S. federal government have been lagging, to include the stimulus package passed last night. Proper tracking of the crisis is impossible without all the necessary test kits. Finally, communication from the President has been the biggest problem because of his inability to convey the facts accurately. As a result, people have begun turning to their governors for accurate information.

Despite these errors, 45 may be specially qualified to handle this crisis. Many people fail in a crisis because they’re afraid of breaking rules. Some leaders only know how to respond to problems in a conventional manner. Other leaders fail because of shame. Their shame nullifies all thought and action. The current President has no problem with either one of these behaviors.

Donald Trump has the highest approval ratings of his presidency after the stock market has plummeted and our nation has shut down.

How?

Because no matter how many times he fails and fails and fails, Donald Trump always believes in Donald Trump. That type of faith is only justifiable if its object is God Almighty. However, the Donald’s faith in himself is proof of the sheer power of faith itself.

It’s not a divine faith.

It’s not a religious faith.

It is a faith in himself that is not based on any reality that exists outside the mind of Donald Trump.

Don’t be surprised though, if that kind of faith doesn’t stumble into a cure for what ails America.

Tony Ares was raised in Fayetteville, NC. Before graduating high school, Tony joined the Army during Operation Desert Shield and served with the Presidential Honor Guard. He has since become a preacher and later founder of the Hill Ministry in Dumfries. In addition to his community activism, he is a prolific writer through AFreshWord.org. He is married with two daughters, a loving church, and an eternal legacy.