President Trump and first lady Melania have both tested positive for COVID-19. The news was announced by the president on Twitter, shortly followed by an
open letter from White House physician Sean P. Conley. The Trumps are reportedly feeling well and have begun their quarantine period.
The president tweeted:
“Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!”
The diagnosis comes shortly after White House aide and former Communications Director Hope Hicks tested positive.
A Political Situation?
A positive COVID test does not necessarily mean that the president will show or experience symptoms. According to recent studies, many cases are asymptomatic, meaning the patient will not display signs of illness.
There will certainly be political implications inherent in this diagnosis, however. The president will not be able to continue his campaign or rallies across the country, which could have a serious impact on his electoral chances. The situation will also likely be seen as an opportunity by the president’s opponents to make hay.
With news of the test results, global markets and U.S. futures took a serious tumble.
However, there is something that observers on both sides of the political aisle should consider when suggesting that this is the end of the 2020 election. In April, U.K. Prime Minister
Boris Johnson tested positive for Coronavirus. Despite the polarization of his leadership up until that point, the nation felt a surge of sympathy and support with folks applauding him from their doorsteps.
In the wake of the announcement about the Trumps' health, rather than the messages of support one might expect, radical leftists have gone out of their way to mock the president and wish him misfortune. The vicious and vindictive responses highlight the division in both political and moral spheres and exposes the darker side of some Americans who, in other circumstances, spend time and effort signaling their faux virtue.
A Unique Time In History
In the last few months, digital innovation has become ubiquitous in allowing people to work remotely through Zoom and other platforms. If the president of the United States had been in quarantine at any other time in history, it would have been near-impossible to continue the running of government.
As Joe Biden has amply demonstrated, however, it is possible to run an election campaign from behind closed doors. And as we have seen with countless businesses, work and duty can continue unabated in the internet age.
Liberty Nation will be reporting on this as the situation progresses.
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Read more from Mark Angelides.
