I had another article written and saved for tonight. But this is Trump World. Things change. Fast. At least I have my column already written for tomorrow! Unless something else changes between now and then. Hey, this is Trump World. The world turns fast.
Unlike some people I spoke with last night, I'm not doing a dance. When some Republican official has tested positive for the coronavirus, I've always written on social media that I wish the person well, I hope they recover, and most of all, I hope that they didn't infect any innocent people, who in turn infected others. That holds for Trump, as much as he's responsible for so many tens of thousands of deaths in America, and millions of needless infections. I wish him well, I hope he recovers, and I hope he didn't infect any innocent people, who in turn infected others. And yes, I fully understand the reaction of others who are pleased that, of all people Trump has tested positive, because of how responsible he is for so many tens of thousands of deaths in America, and millions of needless infections. And for his refusal to condemn white supremacists. And for separating children from their parents. And putting children in cages. And for being the other nation in the world who has withdrawn from the Paris Accord. And for dividing America. And for crushing the economy. And for trying to repress the vote of Americans. And for trying to destroy Americans' faith in the electoral process. And for his sexual abuse. And for his actions against women in general. And for his hatred of minorities and immigrants. By the way, one other thing I hope: I hope that this becomes a "teachable moment," where Trump shows great humility about how COVID-19 can not only infect anybody, but how that person can become Ground Zero for infecting others and spreading the disease (which is such a weird thing to say that everyone hasn't figured that out by now with 7,501,186 infections in the United States, and 212,730 deaths so far.) And he explains how critically important it truly is to wear a mask and socially distance. I hope that very much. I don't believe for a moment that it will happen, indeed I expect that if Trump recovers fairly quickly he'll do the opposite and try to show how the coronavirus just creates at worst slight symptoms for most people, and so we should "open up" the country, never mind how Hope Hicks' one infection impacted so many other people's health. But I hope it becomes a very teachable moment. I hope that instead of the "We're doing well, thanks for the good wishes" tweet that Trump and his wife are sending out, the see the light and begin to wish their best to all those people they came in contact with and may have infected. I dearly hope it becomes that teachable moment. Even though...well, yeah, not so much. Dealing with health aside, it's impossible to separate this all from the real world, and that means the election. And it's hard to see how this doesn't pummel Trump. His "brand" has been one of swaggering, and ridicule of those promoting wearing masks and social distancing. In my article I had written for today, I referred to this Trump Coronavirus Petrie Dish Tour. And that just spit in the face all health safety protocols. As did his ridicule in the debate of Joe Biden wearing the biggest mask he'd ever seen and for not holding mass rallies, but only small circles with a few people because he couldn't attract more. And for campaigning out a bunker, locked away in safety. All that "brand" and swagger is gone. Trump will try to bombast his way around it -- assuming he stays reasonably healthy -- but it doesn't matter. The public know that Trump contracted the coronavirus, that he tested positive. And had to quarantine. And it's a near certainty that Trump will not be taking hydroxychloroquine. Or bleach. Or disinfectant. Or having ultraviolet lights blasted into him. And that, too, will be a matter of attention on his recovery, chipping away at this swagger and "brand." Trump won't likely be traveling on airplanes for a while, and there are fewer than five weeks left before the election -- and people are already voting. It's hard to imagine him ever having a big rally again. And the next debate is probably off, unless they do one by social software, like Zoom or Microsoft Team. But not a Town Hall in front of the public. And all this presupposes that all goes well. Which mean that no others in his inner-circle test positive. Or that none of the press corps traveling with him test positive. And that no one in Congress gets infected who his staff has come in contact with or with Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett has come in contact with on her rounds of interviews. And that he himself stays reasonably healthy and recovers well and soon, which is an uncertainty given his age and obesity and possible (if not probable) other underlying health issues, despite what his doctors keep trying to say. Or, because of that, even worse, which can't be ignored. For that matter, it can't be ignored that anyone on the Joe Biden team couldn't have gotten infected, though that seems (hopefully) less likely. But for now, we can only take details one moment at a time, so for now that means that Trump will recover okay and move on. But as much as the focus is on the health of a person, the future of the country is, in fact, at stake, with an election about 30 days away, and votes already in. And on that level, for a campaign that is 8-10 points behind, on the heels of a disastrous first debate, and the New York Times story on his taxes, and Trump's words saying he won't guarantee a peaceful transition and didn't condemn white supremacists, all causing polls showing worsening news, where the Trump campaign can't afford any hiccup and has to use every remaining moment to its advantage...this, as purely an election matter, is a disaster for Trump. I wish him well, truly. And I'm glad for all the many reasons that Trump's campaign is becoming a disaster.
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AuthorRobert J. Elisberg is a political commentator, screenwriter, novelist, tech writer and also some other things that I just tend to keep forgetting. Feedspot Badge of Honor
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