Dennis Quaid spent the better part of his recent interview with The Daily Beast defending President Trump and his leadership in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. No matter what angle they threw at him during their conversation, Quaid had an answer to prove that the Trump administration is on top of things.
"I think Trump, no matter what anybody thinks of him, is doing a good job at trying to get these states—and all of the American people—what they need, and also trying to hold our economy together and be prepared for when this is all over," Quaid told his skeptical interviewer, Senior Entertainment Editor Marlow Stern.
Stern argued with Quaid over Trump's response, suggesting, for instance, that he was to blame for the ventilator shortages. The actor explained that states need to take some responsibility for their medical supplies and that Trump acted as swiftly as he could, banning travel to and from China as soon as he realized how dire the situation could become.
"Well, to tell you the truth, I think the president is handling it in a good way," Quaid reasoned. "We see him on television every day, he's's involved, and the travel ban early on was a great idea—which he did in spite of protest about that."
In fact, that's not just a thespian's opinion. Coronavirus task force member Dr. Anthony Fauci recently explained how Trump's decision to immediately ban travel to and from China likely helped save thousands of lives.
It was, Fauci said, a "very smart move" that prevented a major influx from China. But naturally, Trump was deemed a "xenophobic" and "racist" for enforcing the ban.
It's also pretty predictable that Quaid now finds himself on the receiving end of some expletives and character assassinations for simply telling the president "good job." Some former fans pledged to never watch any of his films again, which is a shame, because "Parent Trap" is a classic.
[Cut to me not EVER watching another Dennis Quaid movie again. EVER.]
— TrumanDem (@TrumanDem) April 8, 2020
I’m so mad at Dennis Quaid for thinking Trump is doing a good job that I went to my garage and threw out his latest movie on Betamax.
— Tony Posnanski (@tonyposnanski) April 8, 2020
You know....suddenly not such a great actor
— Arthur Goodfellow (@ArthurGoodfell3) April 8, 2020
Just lost all respect for Dennis Quaid
— Leslie (@GeorgiaResist53) April 8, 2020
An honest question: Stern is the Entertainment Editor, right? Why focus so much of his conversation with Quaid on politics? If I had an hour with such a prolific and influential actor, I certainly wouldn't be obsessing over what he thinks about the president. They did, however, manage to discuss Quaid's new podcast, The Dennissance, which premiered on Wednesday, April 8. The show is being advertised as "a raw, unfiltered and in-depth podcast series that will have Quaid interviewing a long list of high profile actors, politicians, personalities, musicians, and innovative business leaders."
By the way, it's Mr. Quaid's 66th birthday today. Happy Birthday, Dennis!