To the editor:

When flipping through channels a week or so ago I discovered Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham being interviewed on “The View”, a woman’s talk show on ABC that has five ultra-liberal hosts. Every effort was made to trap Graham into agreeing with their liberal view that President Trump, and only Trump, was to blame for everything and anything about the coronavirus in the U.S. Graham reminded the Hate Trumpers the restriction imposed by Trump on travel from China had saved American lives and that prior to that there was little information available from China or the World Health Organization about the virus.

The blame began (and will likely end) with the Chinese government. In December, Chinese officials alerted the WHO to several cases of unusual pneumonia in Wuhan. On Jan. 23 the WHO said the outbreak did not constitute a public emergency of international concern and stated there was no evidence of the virus spreading between humans. On Jan. 30 the WHO declared the virus a global emergency.

The WHO was slow to react. Is the WHO to blame? The very next day, on Jan. 31, Trump announced a restriction on travel from China. Many in the mainstream media labeled him as being xenophobic and a racist for doing so. That very same day Joe Biden called Trump xenophobic, hysterical and a fearmonger. Two months later Biden finally agreed Trump did the right thing. Is Biden to blame for being slow to react? And all this time the Democrats were holding debates. I heard no mention of the virus, nor do I remember any of the Democrats on the campaign trail speak of the virus. Are those Democrats to blame?

On Feb. 24 House Speaker Nancy Pelosi encouraged travel and visits to Chinatown in San Francisco. On Feb. 29 Dr. Anthony Fauci, a member of the Task Force advising Trump, said at this time the risk was low and there was no need to change our habits. On March 1 New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo assured New Yorkers that the general risk in the state remained low. On March 11 New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio recommended New Yorkers go about their lives with only a few changes. Are Pelosi, Dr. Fauci, Cuomo, or de Blasio to blame?

Voters will decide in November who may be to blame.

Chuck Peterson

Fort Dodge