Whenever I have the misfortune of listening to Vice President Mike Pence’s slobbering praise of Donald Trump’s “leadership” in handling the coronavirus pandemic, I cannot help but circle back to Trump’s initial reaction to the outbreak.

He all but denied the existence of the outbreak, which had felled people in Wuhan, China. Trump called it a “Democrat hoax.”

Then he reported that the nation had about 15 cases of COVID-19, but soon would melt away to zero. Trump said a “miracle” would occur.

Trump has continued to insist — as the death toll in the United States has topped 1,000 victims — that he has done a “fantastic” job. The United States is now the most infected country on Earth, surpassing the former epicenter nations of China and then Italy.

The president says we’ll have a vaccine ready to go shortly, only to be contradicted openly by Dr. Anthony Fauci, the leading medical/science expert working on the Trump administration response team.

Donald Trump’s “leadership” has been MIA since the beginning. It is still missing in action at this moment. He blames the media for fomenting panic, for disrupting the economy … all for the purpose of undermining Trump’s re-election chances.

Mr. President, your political future is in your hands and yours alone.

I am just sickened beyond measure at the extent that this president’s alleged “leadership” is aimed for one purpose, which is to advance his own effort to win re-election.

Leadership? It hasn’t revealed itself in the White House.