I'm not saying they're wrong, but certainly don't take everything they say as gospel. I can't speak for the COVID pandemic, but I can certainly tell you that those fuckers were just grasping at straws with what to do during the looming Ebola outbreak a few years back.
I've found that the general public feels that 'The Powers That Be' have all the answers and guidance. In reality, you'll find that a lot of them are human just like the rest of us and often times don't have a clue what to do. If they came out and just said "We don't know", can you imagine the panic? It's often times best, relatively educated, guess.
I realize its all we've got to work with, so do with it what you will.
I'm certainly sorry to hear about your situation; its awful. I'm also not condoning what Trump may or may not have said. He says a lot of stupid shit.
But, the fact that we put blame on the guy for what some whackjob did is reaching a bit and looking for a scapegoat, IMO. Did Trump tell him to go do that? No. Did he even suggest it? No. The guy was a nutcase whether Trump was president or not. He took what Trump said, and twisted it into his own perversion. I put this in line with blaming guns for mass shootings. Those fuckers were crazy before they got ahold of a gun. Quit trying to place blame on something or someone besides the individual that committed the heinous act.
OpEds? Seriously?