As we continue to combat the global pandemic and look towards a safe, responsible re-opening based on science and the facts, it’s important for our state and local leaders to provide strong, consistent guidance.
As President Donald Trump continues to lead with an aspirational message focused on safely re-opening and rebuilding the world’s greatest economy, a number of partisan politicians have chosen politics over sound policy when it comes to dealing with the pandemic.
Take North Carolina Democrat Gov. Roy Cooper, for example. Cooper, who implemented strict lockdown measures and encouraged residents to stay home for months, chose to march with protestors in early July.
I support peaceful protesting, but that’s not the issue here. The problem with the governor’s very publicized protest march is that it reeked of hypocrisy.
On Monday, June 1, Cooper marched with protestors outside the governor’s mansion in Raleigh. Less than 24 hours later, the governor announced that his state would not meet the requests of the Republican National Committee ahead of August’s national convention.
“As much as we want the conditions surrounding COVID-19 to be favorable enough for you to hold the convention you describe in late August, it is very unlikely,” Cooper said in a letter to the RNC. “Neither public health officials nor I will risk the health and safety of North Carolinians by providing the guarantees you seek,” he went on to say, seeming to ignore his march in the streets just the day before.
The stunning hypocrisy from Gov. Cooper shouldn’t surprise anyone. It’s just the latest example of the radical-left Democrat Party and its “do as I say, not as I do” mentality.
It’s also the latest example of hypocrisy from Gov. Cooper. Just last year, Cooper vetoed a bill that would require sheriffs to honor detention requests from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). The move came off as a calculated political decision that put the rights of people in the country illegally over the rights of North Carolinians—the people the Governor is supposed to represent.
Gov. Cooper, by vetoing legislation that required Sheriffs to follow federal immigration enforcement laws, made it clear that he is more interested in impressing the radical-left and the permanent Washington political class who supports open borders, than he is interested in supporting the rights and safety of his own citizens.
And while the governor doesn’t want to follow federal immigration laws, he’s also made it clear he doesn’t think sheriffs should be allowed to decide whether or not to honor his executive orders.
And while Joe Biden, Roy Cooper and the Democrats continue to politicize the pandemic, playing off people’s fears for cheap political points, President Trump and his administration have issued prudent guidance to combat the pandemic and to protect the most vulnerable among us. On May 11th, Vice President Mike Pence told governors that all nursing home residents and staff should be tested for COVID-19 pandemic.
As of June 25th, that still hadn’t happened in North Carolina.
Five days later, on June 30th, the North Carolina Dept. of Health and Human Services Secretary, Dr. Many Cohen announced that North Carolina would begin “proactively” testing all residents and staff at all nursing homes—almost two months after Vice President Pence’s urging.
Of course, while letting the states most vulnerable residents wait, Gov. Cooper got tested within 24 hours after attending the May protests.
Gov. Cooper, just like Joe Biden, is choosing to use the pandemic for cheap, political gain. Meanwhile, President Trump is focused on leading through action.
North Carolina, like the rest of America, cannot afford four years of Joe Biden’s weak, ineffective leadership. North Carolinians know that President Trump rebuilt the world’s greatest economy once before, and he will do it again.
Lara Trump is Senior Advisor to Donald J. Trump for President, Inc.
