US President Donald Trump, in quarantine on Friday after being tested positive for Covid-19, has underplayed the pandemic for months, eschewing masks, criticising others who wear them and holding large rallies with unmasked supporters against the advice of public health professionals, reports Reuters.
A CNN analyst called this “the most dangerous moment the US government has ever faced”, as the network writes that the diagnosis amounts to the most serious known health threat to a sitting American president in decades. At 74 and obese, Trump falls into the highest risk category for serious complications from the disease, which has killed more than 200,000 Americans and more than 1.0 million people worldwide.
Some US media networks even fear constitutional crisis, in case Vice President Mike Pence, is tested positive.
Reuters has compiled reactions to Trump’s testing corona-positive
US President Donald Trump said in a tweet on Friday he and his wife Melania had contracted coronavirus and were entering quarantine, just a month before the November 3 presidential election.
Trump’s tweet revealing that America’s first couple had tested positive reverberated through world media and financial markets. Here are some of the reactions:
VICE PRESIDENT MIKE PENCE TWEETED
“Karen and I send our love and prayers to our dear friends President @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS Melania Trump. We join millions across America praying for their full and swift recovery. God bless you President Trump & our wonderful First Lady Melania.”
FRANCE’S GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN GABRIEL ATTAL
“This demonstrates that the virus spares no one, including those who have shown scepticism. I wish him a swift recovery.”
UK HOUSING MINISTER ROBERT JENRICK
“All of us want to send our best wishes to President Trump, the first lady and the Trump family and wish them a speedy recovery.
“We know what it’s like to have, in our case a prime minister who tested positive for Covid, and setting aside politics we all want to see him and his wife get better soon.
“In the US they’ve got a very clear protocol haven’t they, with the vice president, should that be necessary.”
HU XIJIN, EDITOR IN CHIEF OF CHINA’S GLOBAL TIMES, TWEETED
“President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the Covid-19. The news shows the severity of the US’ pandemic situation. It will impose a negative impact on the image of Trump and the US, and may also negatively affect his reelection.”
CHINA DAILY, THE OFFICIAL ENGLISH LANGUAGE NEWSPAPER
“The positive test is yet another reminder that the coronavirus continues to spread, even as Trump has tried desperately to suggest it no longer poses a danger. Since it emerged earlier this year, Trump, the White House and his campaign have played down the threat and refused to abide by basic public health guidelines — including those issued by his own administration — such as wearing masks in public and practicing social distancing. Instead, Trump has continued to hold campaign rallies that draw thousands of supporters. The virus has killed more than 200,000 Americans and infected more than 7 million nationwide.”
TAIWAN PRESIDENTIAL OFFICE SPOKESMAN’S STATEMENT
“President Tsai, upon receiving the news, sent her best wishes to the US government via diplomatic channels, hoping that President Trump and his wife can recover at an early date under the professional care of the medical team.”
SHANE OLIVER, HEAD OF INVESTMENT STRATEGY, AMP CAPITAL, SYDNEY
“There might be a sympathy vote for Trump if he gets the coronavirus.
“The market’s already a little bit on edge because of the upcoming election and the failure of talks to result in a new fiscal stimulus.
“You can imagine all sorts of scenarios here. If he tests positive and then just shows mild symptoms, it will be over in a few days. If he gets ill and has to go to hospital, the market will be a lot more concerned. Obviously, to the extent campaigning comes to a halt, it might increase fears that he might lose the election.
“Generally speaking, the market prefers the incumbent to win and the general preference has been for Trump to win because he will mean lower taxes and less regulation than a Biden presidency.
“But the whole issue around fiscal stimulus is complicated because, if Trump loses and the Democrats win and they get control of the Senate and the House, it makes fiscal stimulus assured, which will offset the impact of the tax hikes. The market would probably be happy to see a Biden presidency with a clean sweep.”
NAOYA OSHIKUBO, SENIOR ECONOMIST, SUMITOMO MITSUI TRUST ASSET MANAGEMENT
“Trump has been trailing behind Biden and he has clearly failed to narrow the gap after the first debate, which is the most important of the three debates. I suspect markets will lean towards the view that Biden will likely win the election.
“What I am worried is that he will become even more aggressive against China after he caught the virus himself, for I got the impression that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has become more anti-China after he had COVID-19.
“For the time being it will be difficult for financial markets to be in a risk-on mood.”
Trump and the coronavirus: In his own words
While facing sharp criticism for his response to an outbreak that has killed more than 200,000 people in the United States alone, the president has touted his management of the crisis. Here is a timeline of some of his comments:
- Jan. 22 to CNBC: “We have it totally under control. It’s one person coming in from China, and we have it under control. It’s going to be just fine.”
- Jan. 24 tweet: “China has been working very hard to contain the Coronavirus. The United States greatly appreciates their efforts and transparency. It will all work out well. In particular, on behalf of the American People, I want to thank President Xi!”
- Feb. 23 to reporters: “We’re very much involved. We’re very — very cognizant of everything going on. We have it very much under control in this country.”
- Feb. 27 at the White House: “It’s going to disappear. One day, it’s like a miracle, it will disappear.”
- March 10 after meeting Republican senators: “This was unexpected. … And it hit the world. And we’re prepared, and we’re doing a great job with it. And it will go away. Just stay calm. It will go away.”
- March 13 to reporters: “Yeah, no, I don’t take responsibility at all, because we were given a - a set of circumstances and we were given rules, regulations, and specifications from a different time.”
- March 15 at a White House briefing: “This is a very contagious virus. It’s incredible. But it’s something that we have tremendous control over.”
- March 18 tweet: “I always treated the Chinese Virus very seriously, and have done a very good job from the beginning, including my very early decision to close the ‘borders’ from China - against the wishes of almost all.”
- April 3 at a White House briefing: “With the masks, it’s going to be really a voluntary thing. You can do it, you don’t have to do it. I’m choosing not to do it, but some people may want to do it and that’s OK ... As I greet presidents, prime ministers, dictators, kings, queens ... I don’t see it for myself, I just don’t.”
- April 23 at a White House briefing: “I see the disinfectant, where it knocks it out in a minute, one minute, and is there a way we can do something like that by injection inside, or almost a cleaning? Because you see it gets in the lungs and it does a tremendous number on the lungs, so it’d be interesting to check that.” Pressed later about the issue, Trump said he was not encouraging people to ingest disinfectant and portrayed his remarks as sarcasm.
- May 21 on a Ford plant visit: “I wore one (a mask) in the back area. I didn’t want to give the press the pleasure of seeing it.”
- July 12 before publicly donning a mask for the first time: “When you are in a hospital, especially in that particular setting when you are talking to a lot of soldiers, people that in some cases just got off the operating table, I think it’s a great thing to wear a mask.”
- July 21 announcing a change of heart at a White House briefing: “We’re asking everybody that when you are not able to socially distance, wear a mask, get a mask. Whether you like the mask or not, they have an impact, they’ll have an effect and we need everything we can get... I will use it, gladly ... Anything that potentially can help ... is a good thing.”
- Sept 29 at a presidential debate, after producing a mask from his pocket: “I wear masks when needed. When needed, I wear masks.” Ridiculing Democratic rival Joe Biden for wearing them regularly, he said: “I don’t wear masks like him. Every time you see him, he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away from them and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.”
- Sept 29, when asked during the debate whether he was worried about the disease spreading at his rallies: “Well, so far we have had no problem whatsoever. It’s outside - that’s a big difference according to the experts. And we do them outside, we have tremendous crowds, as you see.... We had no negative, no negative effect. We’ve had no negative effect, and we’ve had, 35 40,000, people at some of these rallies.”