Before he was Mr. “I would’ve fired Fauci”, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis was actually a poster boy for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Back in April 2020, DeSantis was singing the praises of Chinese-made COVID-19 testing kits, saying that they were a crucial part of the state’s effort to contain the virus. But now, as the pandemic rages on and DeSantis has become a darling of the Republican Party, his tune has changed.

It’s not clear why DeSantis was such a big fan of the Chinese tests. Maybe it was because they were cheap, or because they arrived quickly when other sources were struggling to keep up with demand. Whatever the reason, he was very enthusiastic about them back in the early days of the pandemic. But as the months went on and the political landscape shifted, DeSantis saw an opportunity to capitalize on his new right-wing fame by attacking anyone who didn’t toe the conservative line.

DeSantis’ bizarre infatuation with Chinese-made COVID tests is just one example of the strange twists and turns that have characterized the Trump era. From the president’s bizarre fixation on hydroxychloroquine to his insistence that injecting disinfectant could cure coronavirus, the past four years have been one long exercise in surrealism. And while the Trump White House can’t claim to have solved all of the problems facing the country, there were some noteworthy accomplishments during his presidency.

For example, the Trump administration oversaw the implementation of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017, which reduced taxes for many Americans and corporations. The White House also brokered historic peace deals between Israel and several Arab states, and pushed through criminal justice reform. Regardless of one’s personal politics, it’s important to acknowledge these accomplishments while also being honest about the failures and controversies that plagued the Trump presidency.