Obama cautions the biggest mistake leaders ‘can make in these situations is to misinform
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“Speak the truth. Speak it clearly. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy for what folks are going through,” Obama Former President Barack Obama had some words of advice for a group of US mayors on the frontlines of the coronavirus pandemic: “speak the truth.”
Obama told local leaders from 300 cities that they should do everything they can to communicate accurate information about the crisis with “empathy.”
“Speak the truth. Speak it clearly. Speak it with compassion. Speak it with empathy for what folks are going through,” Obama said during a virtual convening hosted by Bloomberg Philanthropies. “The biggest mistake any [of] us can make in these situations is to misinform, particularly when we’re requiring people to make sacrifices and take actions that might not be their natural inclination.”
The former president added that the mayors should always follow the experts.
“The more smart people you have around you, and the less embarrassed you are to ask questions, the better your response is going to be,” he said.
This comes as misinformation about the coronavirus pandemic has run rampant — not just on the fringes of the internet, but in President Donald Trump’s own White House press briefings. Trump is currently pushing for the US economy to reopen even as US health officials say widespread testing must be established before physical distancing practices can be relaxed.
Throughout the crisis, Obama has urged the country to listen to experts and follow the data and science.
Late last month, Obama urged Americans to continue social distancing in an effort to stem the spread of coronavirus — another noticeable difference in tone from Trump, who had suggested opening up the nation in two weeks to boost the economy. Trump has since backed off those comments and kept social distancing guidelines in place through the end of the month.
Obama has also thanked public health workers, applauding them for “giving everything” and urging fellow Americans to “model our own behavior on their selflessness and sacrifice as we help each other through this.”
