Let's start with some truth which is a concept that conservatives either don't care about or simply find inconvenient since they so routinely seem to feel a need to avoid facts whenever possible.
Regardless of who was president, Covid-19 was coming here, and it was destined to put the American economy in the toilet. Having said that, it was Trump's willingness to avoid tackling the problem that had the metaphorical effect of pushing the handle on the side of the toilet thereby sending the economy down the drain. Why Trump said what he said, and did what he did, and didn't do what he should have done will be debated for years to come. The two most likely reasons are:
1. As I lifelong salesman who was always trying to sell something to someone regardless of its true value, Trump didn't like the narrative of a national emergency which would necessitate a change in human behavior which would result in an economic slowdown which would, in turn, hurt his reelection mantra of a thriving economy. The short version of this explanation is that Trump didn't see it as being in his personal interest to publicly admit what he knew to be true. The sad and disgusting truth of this motivation is that Trump was perfectly willing to accept a higher (a FAR higher) death count if he could keep the economy humming along as if nothing was wrong.
2. Laziness. You see, addressing the pandemic would take a lot of effort, and it would involve long meetings with experts and federal, state and local officials from all parts of the country , as well as plenty of planning, and long, long hours of work. And that was not acceptable to Trump because it would cut into his Twitter time, his TV time, and his rallies which he loved as he flew hither and yon across the USA on Air Force One. And as reason one clearly shows, he just didn't care about the death toll since he refused to take responsibility, even as he had a host of others to blame as is his well known habit of taking credit for anything good that happens and shifting the blame to anyone (or everyone) else when something bad happens. Perhaps the saddest thing is this: none of this would have worked if it wasn't for the fact that his supporters (his base) weren't such obsequious followers and other Republican office holders weren't such cowardly sycophants who flattered Trump's ego because they were two afraid of Trump's wrath if they actually dared speak truth to power.
But fear not because Trump's day of truth and reckoning is quickly approaching. It's called an election, and Trump is going to lose BIG.
Unfortunately, for every American and the nation as a whole, I firmly believe that Trump's plan is to declare victory on election night, regardless of the vote tally at the time, but especially if he has an early lead. And why? It's simple. You see, Trump doesn't care about us, the American people. Trump doesn't even care about his supporters who he's constantly trying to crowd close together without wearing face coverings for his ego-driven rallies. No, Trump only cares about himself. He may also understand that he's facing some serious legal troubles once he's out of office. So, he has every reason to try to stay in the one place where he's immune from prosecution.
Having said all that, keep the following thought in mind: If Trump loses the election and somehow manages to cling to power past noon on January 20, 2021, you can kiss our democracy and our freedom good-bye, even as the pandemic continues to rage all around us.
