Interviews with insiders suggest that the wrecker convinced himself in April that Covid-19 would continue dying away despite reopening businesses, then clung to that false certainty in the teeth of the facts.

This article does not report a hint that he expected this to result in increasing spread of the disease. It says only that he was unwilling to recognize that when it did happen.

However, we have seen indications since then that he and his lieutenants are determined to do that. Just now he has told Republicans not to provide any more money for practical steps that can drive down the Covid-19 infection rate: testing and contact tracing. Nor for the CDC.

Another is his campaign to force states to reopen public schools. Now the wrecker has forbidden CDC officials from testifying to Congress about whether it would be wise to reopen public schools.