Masked vs. Unmasked... Revived US Presidential Election Scene

Biden Resumes Public Activities After 10 Weeks
Wears Mask in Stark Contrast to Trump

Former Vice President Joe Biden and his wife [Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] As economic activities resume in the United States, the presidential race competition has also revived. In fact, Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden ended his 10-week self-quarantine and began his external activities. Considering the gradual expansion of social distancing easing, the campaign activities of presidential candidates are expected to intensify.

On the 25th (local time), U.S. media unanimously reported that former Vice President Biden made an appearance. On that day, he visited a veterans memorial near Wilmington, Delaware, with his wife to lay a wreath. According to the AP News, he laid a wreath of white roses at the World War II and Korean War veterans memorials, saying, "We will never forget."

Biden's appearance drew more attention because his demeanor was distinctly different from that of President Donald Trump. While laying the wreath, he wore a black suit, black mask, and black sunglasses. Biden told reporters with his mask on, "I feel good being outside the house," and while greeting veterans, he maintained a certain distance, adhering to social distancing guidelines.

President Trump visited Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia and Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Maryland, on the same day. He did not wear a mask on this occasion either. While expressing condolences to fallen soldiers, Trump emphasized, "We will conquer the virus together, and America will rise to new and greater heights from this crisis."

The New York Times described these actions as "Biden returning with a striking contrast to Trump." The Washington Post (WP) commented, "While some citizens are sheltering at home and others are flocking to beaches, Trump and Biden presented completely different images." There was also an interpretation that their appearances reflected the underlying reality of the economic shutdown and restart due to COVID-19.

President Donald Trump and First Lady of the United States
[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Biden abruptly canceled a scheduled primary campaign rally in Cleveland, Ohio, last March and entered a stay-at-home order. Given his advanced age and the difficulty of infection control unlike President Trump, it was considered an unavoidable choice. Since then, he focused on online campaigning through video conferences. However, compared to President Trump, who effectively used COVID-19 task force briefings to campaign, Biden's public exposure was inevitably lower.

There were some achievements during his seclusion. As President Trump made missteps such as suggesting injecting disinfectants and criticism grew over the Trump administration's poor response with COVID-19 deaths reaching 100,000, polls showed Biden widening the gap in support.

President Trump has already been engaging in external activities citing economic normalization and encouragement of COVID-19 response sites. Swing states like Arizona, Pennsylvania, and Michigan are his targets. This week, he plans to visit Cape Canaveral Kennedy Space Center and continue his activities in Florida.

They exchanged attacks on Twitter. On the morning of Biden's appearance, President Trump launched a fierce attack via Twitter. Biden directly criticized Trump for playing golf during the Memorial Day weekend on the 23rd and 24th, saying, "The president needs to do much more than tweeting from a golf cart on the golf course." Trump, in turn, lumped Biden and former President Barack Obama together in criticism. He openly expressed dissatisfaction, saying, "They (the media) never mention Sleepy Joe's (Trump's nickname for Biden) terrible work ethic or all the time Obama spent on the golf course."

President Trump's offensive also targeted North Carolina, where the Republican National Convention is scheduled. Trump said, "I have insisted on holding the Republican National Convention in Charlotte at the end of August, but unfortunately, Democratic Governor Roy Cooper still maintains a shutdown atmosphere, so it is uncertain whether full attendance at the venue will be allowed by then," applying pressure. He expressed frustration that he wants to hold the Republican National Convention, which will be his presidential launch event, offline, but it is difficult due to the Democratic governor.

The Democratic Party reportedly postponed their convention, originally scheduled for four days from July 3 to 16 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to August and is also considering holding it via video conference.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.