Ignoring quarantine rules... NYT "Trump's positive diagnosis complicates presidential campaign"

33 Days Until the Presidential Election... Indefinite Quarantine at the White House
"Political Assets Destroyed Due to Positive Test"

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy New York=Correspondent Baek Jong-min] U.S. President Donald Trump and his wife, First Lady Melania, tested positive for COVID-19, casting a red light on the presidential race with 33 days remaining. Unlike his rival, Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden, Trump will be unable to conduct on-site campaigns until he fully recovers from the virus.

The New York Times (NYT) reported on the 2nd (local time), "The future of the campaign is likely to become difficult in the upcoming election," adding, "He will have to withdraw from the campaign and remain alone in the White House indefinitely for isolation."

This is expected to deal a significant blow to President Trump's campaign style. He has consistently appealed for support in front of large crowds during his election campaigns.

Concerns grew as attendees often did not properly wear masks, disregarding quarantine guidelines, but he paid no heed. On the last day of the Republican National Convention in August, where he was nominated as the presidential candidate, he invited 1,000 supporters to the White House South Lawn, where social distancing was nonexistent and it was difficult to find supporters wearing masks. The situation was similar during airport campaigns in Florida, North Carolina, and other locations.

The positive COVID-19 diagnosis is expected to make the final showdown with Biden even more challenging. President Trump held the first presidential TV debate on the 29th, where he was considered to have lost ground compared to Biden. For a busy Trump, COVID-19 has become a considerable setback.

NYT assessed, "Even if President Trump does not have severe symptoms, the positive diagnosis alone will destroy his political capital."

Especially since he has downplayed COVID-19 until now, it will be difficult for him to avoid criticism. Foreign media have highlighted Trump's past remarks on COVID-19, noting that "President Trump repeatedly asserted that the virus would disappear and was under control."

When the first confirmed case occurred in the U.S. in January, Trump said it was "controllable," and despite recommendations to wear masks, he rarely complied in public. Regarding scientists' warnings that "the elderly are vulnerable to the virus and should avoid crowded places," he dismissed them as "mistakes." This led to criticism that he misled the American public, contrasting sharply with Biden's mask-wearing approach.

Despite the spread of infections, President Trump repeatedly said he was "not worried" about his own infection. Last month, ahead of a large rally, he stated, "Where I am is separated from the crowds. I am not worried at all."

Several confirmed cases at the White House have raised concerns about President Trump's infection. In August, Robert O'Brien, White House National Security Council (NSC) advisor, tested positive, and earlier in May, Vice President Mike Pence's spokesperson Katie Miller was infected. Herman Cain, a political ally of Trump, contracted COVID-19 after attending a rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma, in July and later died.

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