Editor's note: Bradley Blankenship is a Prague-based American journalist, political analyst and freelance reporter. He has been featured on Press TV, Russia Today and Radio Sputnik. The article reflects the author's opinions, not necessarily the views of CGTN.

In 1985, Cuban revolutionary Fidel Castro and noted cigar smoker made a shocking announcement in an interview on Brazilian television that he had quit smoking. "I haven't lit up a cigar for several months now," Castro said. "I reached the conclusion long ago that the one last sacrifice I must make for (Cuban) public health is to stop smoking. I haven't really missed it that much."

Castro had apparently made the decision after considering the damage smoking caused to himself and to others through secondhand smoke. It was also an issue of image. If the Cuban people saw their leader smoking in public, on television, and in speeches, is that not a subtle endorsement of this practice? Will children, who dream to be like him, emulate this unhealthy behavior? The answer is probably yes.

U.S. President Donald Trump's comical statement on Thursday during his usual "press briefing" could not be more of a juxtaposition. "I see the disinfectant that knocks it (the coronavirus) out in a minute, one minute. And is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside or almost a cleaning? As you see, it gets in the lungs, it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it would be interesting to check that," Trump said.

Trump made another off-the-cuff statement after Bill Bryan, leader of the Department of Homeland Security's science and technology division, presented research that SARS-CoV2 doesn't survive as well under warmer temperatures and higher humidity. This is actually a pretty common occurrence with viruses.

"The virus dies quickest in sunlight," Bryan said. Trump then asked if it was possible to bring this light into the body somehow, if you can believe it.

"So supposing we hit the body with a tremendous – whether it's ultraviolet or just a very powerful light – and I think you said that hasn't been checked because of the testing," Trump said. "And then I said, supposing you brought the light inside the body, which you can do either through the skin or some other way, and I think you said you're going to test that, too."

To any casual observer, this is just another day of Trump being Trump. He says something frankly stupid and people laughed it off and move on. But the President of the United States has a far-reaching platform that, until this administration, most people took seriously, and some unfortunately still do. Trump has a base and a very committed one at that.

We have already seen the unfortunate result of Trump's words on medical issues. For weeks, Trump had touted the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine, calling it a "game changer" in the fight against the ongoing pandemic.

Preliminary reports suggest no serious difference in outcomes for those that take the drug, but in typical snake oil salesmen tactics, and a want to save face due to his administration's failure, Trump capitalized on this supposed miracle drug that was making circles in the radical-right media.

On March 23, it was reported that a man died and his wife was in critical care after ingesting chloroquine phosphate under the false assumption that it would protect them from becoming infected with coronavirus. To be fair, this compound is not the same one that Trump mentioned.

However, the patient told NBC news that they got the idea after watching a Trump press conference, and they were not the only ones – bottles of chloroquine phosphate meant for fish tanks shot up in price on eBay to hundreds of dollars and were being sold out of aquarium stores.

With Trump's latest comments, will we see his supporters inject isopropyl alcohol or snort Purell? Will Sean Hannity do a flashlight demonstration live on Fox News? Hyperbole aside, the fact remains that even when fact-checkers in the media deservedly rip Trump apart for these statements, his propagandists on the right are so viciously anti-intellectual that facts really have no relevance, and they will always find some way to justify his stupidity.

CNN and MSNBC have already started cutting Trump's briefings when they slide into campaign rallies, which is commendable. But, there must be more pressure on all media to de-platform the lies of this President which have demonstrably led to death and social unrest. Not just traditional media, but social media too. For example, Twitter must put a stop to Trump's Tweets which certainly violate the rules of the platform against hateful comments, abuse, and violence.

Leaders have a responsibility to disseminate factual information and put out an image that allows for faith in government. But Trump's comments since the crisis began have been inconsistent, dangerous, factually incorrect, and abjectly racist.

He is endangering the lives of millions and potentially undoing the positive work done thus far by the effective policies of state governments and most importantly – the solidarity of the American people.

(Cover image: U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a news conference at the White House in Washington D.C., the U.S., March 13, 2020. /Xinhua)

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