Donald Trump must learn American history: #TrumpHasNoPlan during the coronavirus

This opinion echo letter was published in The Tribune Democrat, a newspaper published in Johnstown, Pennsylvania: 

Donald Trump’s claim that a vaccine to prevent the COVID-19 infections before the end of 2020, will be big and fast like the "Manhattan Project". But, hisambitious statement is just another example to demonstrate Trump's lack of knowledge about American history.

f I were a betting woman, I would wager that Trum has no clue what the Manhattan Project entailed. Yes, it was big, but it wasn’t fast. From inception (1939) when discussions and theorizing got underway, to completion July 16, 1945, the planning took six years. It seemed an eternity to American leaders who feared the Germans were ahead in building a weapon using nuclear technology.

In January 2017, en route to Asia, Trump stopped in Hawaii. He was given a private tour of Pearl Harbor. By all accounts, he had a vague idea of some battle there and asked his then-Chief of Staff John Kelly why they were visiting this place.

The above are just two of the multiple accounts showing Trump's ignorance about American history. This is not surprising given his aversion to books and inability to read.

Barack Obama, Trump’s bete noire, had a full grasp of American history including the contents of the Constitution. He also spoke in complete sentences, and had a rich vocabulary that never included four letter expletives.

Because Trump ignored the warnings of his own intel and scientists in January, we are “America First” in the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths.

Is it any wonder that the rest of the world pities us?

Rose Hess in Bowling Green, Ohio, formerly of Jerome, Pennsylvania