It's Brian Lehrer, and this is my daily politics podcast from WNYC Studios. It's Tuesday, May 19th.

New York Times has an article now pointing out that the country is doing the best at holding down

coronavirus cases and coronavirus

deaths happen to have women as their heads of state.

In New Zealand, Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who is quick to put the entire nation on

lockdown as of March 25th, has become New Zealand's most popular prime minister in a century for practicing an abundance of caution

in the early days of the virus. News reports suggest the country has effectively eliminated

coronavirus. Germany and Taiwan with women in charge have had far greater success than their

neighbors in stemming the tide of the pandemic. Finland, if you want to

look at Scandinavia, has had 10% fewer deaths, and they have a woman head of state compared to Sweden

next door with the men. Now, granted, this is a very small sample, but it at least raises a question,

and it certainly raises a contrast with a certain

male president who seems to find the idea of wearing a mask against his idea of looking like a real

man. Well, I just don't want to wear one myself. It's a recommendation. They recommend it.

I'm feeling good. I just don't want to be doing, I don't know,

somehow sitting in the Oval Office behind that beautiful resolute desk, the great resolute desk.

I think wearing a face mask as I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens.

I don't know.

Somehow I don't see it for myself.

I don't know.

Somehow I don't see it for myself.

Trump on April 3rd.

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