'October Surprise?'... Will the COVID-19 Vaccine Become Trump's Savior?

Trump Facing Reelection Crisis, All-In on Vaccine Development
Massive Support for Vaccine Manufacturers Through Ultra-Fast Operation

[Asia Economy Reporter Naju-seok] The last reversal card for U.S. President Donald Trump, who is facing a re-election crisis due to declining approval ratings, is likely to be the COVID-19 vaccine. The Trump administration plans to create an 'October Surprise' by successfully developing a vaccine early, aiming to overturn the November election landscape.

On the 27th (local time), the Associated Press reported that multiple White House officials expect the development of a COVID-19 vaccine before the election to become an 'October Surprise.' Peter Navarro, Director of the White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Policy, stated, "Vaccine development could be a political home run," adding, "It must be developed and distributed quickly at the same time."

The Trump administration, including the White House, is betting everything on the October Surprise because there are less than 100 days left until the election, and Trump is significantly trailing Democratic presidential candidate former Vice President Joe Biden in approval ratings. With his approval ratings plummeting due to issues such as the COVID-19 response, President Trump aims to reverse public sentiment through vaccine and treatment development.

On the same day, President Trump visited the Fujifilm factory in Morrisville, North Carolina, to tour the vaccine production facility. Regarding vaccine development, he said, "I heard very positive things," and added, "It will be in very good shape by the end of the year." This factory is the primary production site for the pharmaceutical company Novavax's vaccine, which will be used in clinical trials involving 30,000 participants this fall. Novavax received $1.6 billion (1.91 trillion won) in support from the U.S. government through a project named 'Operation Warp Speed.'

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