The United States is facing an alarming spike in coronavirus cases and hospitalizations. This is a time for sober-minded leadership as we hope to get through the next few months with as low a death toll as possible as the vaccine begins to get distributed more widely next year. Unfortunately, the current crisis is being made even worse by the fact that the government officials tasked with leading us through this health crisis have lost the public’s confidence and respect.
Multiple reports in just the past week have revealed blatant acts of hypocrisy committed by leaders who would like to live by a different set of rules than their constituents. In California, for example, Gov. Gavin Newsom was caught attending an indoor birthday party at a fancy French restaurant in the Bay Area after discouraging Californians from gathering with groups of more than 10 people.
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A few days later, it was reported that San Francisco Mayor London Breed attended a similar event at the same restaurant, even though she had urged city residents not to mingle with people outside their immediate household.
And, perhaps worst of all, Steve Adler, the mayor of Austin, Texas, posted a video last month urging residents to “stay home if you can” to prevent the spread of the virus. He conveniently failed to mention that he filmed the video from his timeshare in Cabo, Mexico, where he was vacationing with several members of his immediate and extended family — having traveled there with a large group on a private jet.
There are many more examples just like these ones, each of which proves that many elected officials are unwilling to follow their own restrictions. Which raises the question: Why should anyone else? How can Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot expect her city’s small-business owners to comply with her second lockdown order when she defied her own shutdown earlier this year so she could get her hair done? And why should Los Angeles restaurants willingly close their doors again when County Supervisor Sheila Kuehl was found dining at an eatery in Santa Monica just hours after decrying outdoor dining as “a most dangerous situation”?
These hypocritical actions do not just diminish officials’ own credibility; they undercut confidence in the entire effort to stop the spread of the coronavirus. Already, public compliance with health officials’ guidance is waning. Nearly 40% of the people who said they avoided gathering in public spaces or with large groups of people are now doing both of those things more regularly, according to the Wall Street Journal. This pandemic fatigue was to be expected due to the prolonged nature of day-to-day restrictions, but it has been exacerbated by the government officials who choose to live by a different set of rules.
And unfortunately, this noncompliance could not come at a worse time. The U.S. recorded its single-worst daily death toll since the pandemic began on Wednesday, which is the same day coronavirus hospitalizations hit an all-time high. Several states are worried their healthcare systems could be overwhelmed by this spike, and the frequency of holiday travel could make their concern a reality.
But the states have fewer options this time around. They can try to go back into lockdown, which is what Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has done, but cooperation will be scant. Even Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of the leading experts on the White House Coronavirus Task Force, admitted last month that the public has “no appetite” for another round of lockdowns. It turns out he was right: In Michigan, where Whitmer implemented a three-week lockdown, a growing number of restaurants are defying the governor’s restrictions and organizing to fight the state’s penalties for remaining open.
Perhaps people would be more willing to stay at home and avoid day-to-day activities if they saw their leaders making the same sacrifice. But instead, the public has been left with poor examples who can’t even resist the allure of rubbing elbows with elites at a Michelin-starred, farm-to-table restaurant. So, not only are we dealing with a massive public health crisis, we are also facing a crisis of credibility — one created by the very leaders elected to represent our interests.
