IT'S NOT TOTALLY DONALD'S FAULT:

The public and media spotlight has therefore fallen on American's state governors. Those who have embraced their roles as crisis managers on the front lines of the pandemic have mostly seen their public approval increase as a result. As chair of the National Governors Association, Larry Hogan has been a prominent voice among the state leaders. In both his words and actions, he has illuminated the sharp contrast between Trump's approach to the pandemic and that of the activist governors, Republicans and Democrats alike.

Above all, Hogan has relied on science and expertise to inform his decision-making.. In the second week of February-when Trump was claiming that there were only a dozen cases of infections in the country and predicted that soon "it miraculously goes away"-a prudent Hogan convened a meeting of two dozen governors with members of the White House coronavirus task force including Dr. Anthony Fauci and Center for Disease Control and Prevention director Robert Redfield. Hogan returned to Maryland and worked with the Democratic-controlled state legislature to fund emergency preparations for combating the virus, including increased hospital bed capacity. 

In early March, when Trump was telling reporters "Just stay calm, it will go away," Hogan created a state coronavirus response team drawing on epidemiologists and public health doctors from Johns Hopkins University, the University of Maryland, and other state institutions. On March 12, when there were still only a handful of recorded cases in the state and no virus-related fatalities, Hogan followed the experts' recommendation and made Maryland the second state in the nation (after Ohio) to close public schools. While Trump has belittled expertise, Hogan has emphasized that "I've been listening to the scientists and the doctors."

At the same time that Trump has used his high-visibility press briefings to air personal grievances, deflect blame, and criticize the media, Hogan has used his platform to advocate for the needs of the revenue-starved states and has effectively communicated the severity of the crisis to the public. While Trump has seized upon the crisis as an opportunity for partisan warfare, Hogan has insisted that "now is not the time for partisan politics" and worked with governors of both parties, cooperated with Democrats in the state legislature, and coordinated a regional response with the Democratic governor of Virginia and mayor of Washington, DC. 

While Trump's response to the pandemic has been chaotic and full of unsupported assertions, Hogan has tried to project steadiness, truthfulness, and informed decision-making.

Tweet   @brothersjudd