ON COVID, WHAT HARM MIGHT TRUMP DO IF HE EVER ACCEPTS THE ELECTION RESULTS?

The Washington Post reports:

President-elect Joe Biden on Monday ratcheted up pressure on the Trump administration to engage in a transition of power, mincing no words on the dire consequences if his incoming team faces further delays in working with federal agencies.

“More people may die if we don’t coordinate,” Biden said during a news conference in Wilmington, Del., following remarks on the economic impact of the coronavirus in which he warned of a “very dark winter” where “things are going to get much tougher before they get easier.” ...

Biden officials see their most crucial disadvantage as being unable to plan for the distribution of a coronavirus vaccine, which would need to be closely coordinated with current Trump administration officials and civil servants who work in important government departments such as Health and Human Services and Defense....

Ideally, while some work may be underway within the Trump administration to plan for the distribution of a vaccine, Biden officials would be clued in so that their transition to running the program would be seamless.

While the Trump administration's response to the pandemic has largely been a miserable failure -- by design -- the Trumpers have agreed to purchase vaccines, and appear to have some plans in the works for vaccine distribution. It's the least you'd expect an American president to do under these circumstances, but it's something.

However, if planning for vaccine distribution is taking place, it's only because the president wanted the glory of being in charge when the doses are made available. He wanted that glory before the election, of course. But he still wants distribution to happen while he's president.

Another Vaccine just announced. This time by Moderna, 95% effective. For those great “historians”, please remember that these great discoveries, which will end the China Plague, all took place on my watch!

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 16, 2020

If distribution planners are still working, I imagine it's because Trump hopes the first doses will be distributed between now and January 20 -- or because he still believes he can win the election, and the major wave of distribution will take place during his second term.

So if he really does accept the results of the election between now and the inaugural, I wouldn't put it past our mad king to dismantle the vaccine distribution team, the same way he disbanded a National Security Council pandemic unit in 2018. After all, if he can't get the glory, Biden certainly shouldn't. Right?

I'm not being facetious. I don't think there are limits to Trump's narcissism and envy, and I don't think he's capable of caring about the human suffering COVID-19 has caused. It's all about him. And if he knows it will no longer be about him, I wouldn't rule out this kind of vengeance.