(AP Photo/Andrew Harnik, File)WASHINGTON – “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself” — President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
___In times of crisis — wars, hurricanes, pandemics — effective leaders strike a balance between inspirational rhetoric and leveling with the public about the tough times ahead.
“In Trump’s case, he was saying it was not a dire situation, he was putting people off their guard,” Beschloss added.
She cited public skepticism even after schools, sports, entertainment and other industries shut down to keep the virus at bay.
Still, “you want people to be informed and to make decisions that are for individual safety and for public safety.