It is possible to be a positive and encouraging leader, one who is able to weigh the balance between being honest and factual while also instilling hope. Franklin D. Roosevelt and Dwight D. Eisenhower both embodied these characteristics, as did Winston Churchill. And many U.S. governors of both parties are displaying those characteristics each day right now.

It is also possible to be so driven by your desire to cast a disaster in a rosy light that you will do anything to make it seem not as bad. That is a sign of immature leadership. That kind of behavior leads to wishful and magical thinking as opposed to thoughtful plans that are realistic. Ultimately, those who follow it will be led on a road to abject failure.

I have watched with horror the utter failure of leadership as this pandemic has unfolded. But seeing a sincere expression that perhaps people should ingest disinfectant or have it infused into their bodies to deal with COVID-19 is astounding. What is even more astounding, though, is not that our narcissistic president does this to try to cover up his own inept leadership, like a child who makes one mistake worse by coming up with more and more outlandish stories, but rather the silence of his supporters and enablers. The emperor has no clothes and no one will say it.

I truly believe President Trump could stand on Fifth Avenue in New York City and shoot someone, or at the very least pour Lysol down their throats, and those who cling to him would not say a word. I keep wondering at what point people who support him will wake up and see that perhaps they could find a better standard bearer for their beliefs than a man more void of sound judgment than a 6-year-old who knows that you shouldn’t ingest disinfectants. And whose actions and inactions and denials will lead us to more death and despair. When people of good will will say “enough is enough.”

I keep praying that people who continue to support Trump will finally see the light and find someone with even a modicum of common sense and honesty to carry their beliefs in the public sphere and free us from this nightmare. Sadly, it seems as though they have not only drunk the Kool-Aid but are lining up to drink the Lysol, too. Unfortunately, it will end up poisoning us all.