Believable, But Is It Believed?

It's sad when something very logical and even expected happens, but no one believes it. The news is shrieking it everywhere: Donald Trump has the coronavirus. And this makes sense: he refused to wear masks, he has been hosting rallies, include the one in Tulsa where Herman Cain may have caught the virus, and overall showed a general disregard for caution, berating people who wear masks. He even pressured the federal agencies that are supposed to protect the public health: the CDC has made several announcements and recommendations they then had to walk back, so we no longer know if we're getting good information or not. 

It is logical that someone who meets many people and doesn't follow precautions might catch the coronavirus. Many of the people recently in contact with Trump have tested positive. Unfortunately, some people are suggesting that Trump doesn't have the virus at all; that it is a publicity stunt. Michael Moore is one of the most visible proponents of the theory, but Twitter users were exploring the idea within hours of the announcement.

Moore: "He’s an evil genius and I raise the possibility of him lying about having Covid-19 to prepare us and counteract his game. He knows being sick tends to gain one sympathy. He’s not above weaponizing this."

From Twitter: 

Why would he do this? The motivations are many: if he's sick, he can explain away his behavior at the first presidential debate, which was succinctly described by many as a "shitshow". If he's sick, no one can question him about the disastrous business history his recently released tax statements have revealed. If he's sick, no one can question his direct statement on television to the Proud Boys ("Stand by"), which implies that he has future orders for this far-right group with a violent history. 

The press smells blood in the water, and Trump is unlikely to say anything that would help his campaign at the moment. Being sick gets him sympathy. It also gives him a chance to redeem himself by claiming that he "learned his lesson" in the future.

Trump's physician claims that he is doing very well, but other sources have painted a more concerning picture. Whom do we believe?

Vox.com: We’re well aware that Trump has a disease that is particularly deadly for older, overweight men, but we have no reason to trust anything the White House says about the state of his health. What happens if Trump is truly incapacitated, or worse? Who will we trust to relay that information?

Whom, indeed? When someone has told so many falsehoods, it is hard to believe them now. Even when the truth would be perfectly believable.