An ironic October surprise
President Trump’s positive COVID test brings skepticism
Baylynne Brunetti / Asst. Opinion Editor
On Tuesday, Nov. 29, President Trump belittled Joe Biden for wearing “big” masks during his campaign, making a mockery of mask-wearing during a pandemic. Two days later, Trump tested positive for COVID-19. His negligence in not taking the coronavirus seriously has led to himself and others in the White House to become sick and has led to the deaths of over 200,000 Americans.
The October surprise is a news event that may influence the outcome of an upcoming election — particularly one for the U.S. presidency — whether deliberately planned or spontaneously occurring. This breaking news falls nothing short of just that: a surprise.
The most telling sign of the state of our politics is that some people are spreading a conspiracy that Trump does not even have COVID-19. They speculate that this is a grand ploy to either draw out the election and reap the benefits of free media coverage; or this is a way to downplay the severity of the virus since Trump has been condemned heavily for his leadership throughout the pandemic. Neither of these options are too far-fetched when it comes to this administration.
Going back to the facts — loose term — we know Trump has COVID-19. Either he survives the virus or he succumbs to the virus — as many other Americans have. If he survives, it will be due to receiving exceptional healthcare because he is the President. The fact is, Trump is an older male, overweight and has underlying heart disease. All factors that have led to COVID-related deaths — putting him in the same position as many older Americans.
The difference is, he will receive some of the best healthcare. Whereas, many victims of the virus have not received that benefit. He has already been hospitalized, saying he is feeling better and back at the White House, though reports from other officials contradict this statement. Upon his release, Trump put his Secret Service and others at risk to do a motorcade to his supporters. Showing that this will be used as a political pawn to downplay the severity of the virus. He has already gone on national television to take his mask off, putting his staff at risk. Perhaps, another recommendation for hydroxychloroquine will be on the horizon.
People have a right to find the irony in the fact that a president who is responsible for the deaths of many Americans is sick with the very virus he downplayed. He has held rallies with no mask mandates, made a mockery of the CDC and our nation’s top doctors and scientists. He has suggested outrageous things such as “injecting disinfectant,” which he claims was a “joke.”
With these comments in mind, it is hard to feel bad for Trump. He continuously went against scientists and started an uprising of anti-maskers who fake letters from the Department of Justice “Freedom to Breathe Agency” to harass working-class people. He encouraged xenophobia by calling it the “China-virus,” which led to a rise in hate crimes towards Asian Americans. He failed the American people in his leadership during this pandemic.
There are other developed countries who have done their part and handled the virus, such as Australia. They took quarantine seriously and did not have a leader who opposed masks and called the virus a “hoax”. Trump has now switched his views to call the virus the “plague,” capitalizing on the fear of Americans and leaving the world with whiplash. This is not “fake news.” You cannot claim that other countries are not comparable to the United States when it comes to population — they are. The difference is having a president who sought to divide instead of bring people together, who sought to make a mockery of the dead by hosting maskless rallies with no social distancing. This is the same man who mocked Joe Biden on a debate stage for wearing a “big” mask, whose party refuses to grant relief packages to families who are struggling because of this same virus.
I do not apologize for not feeling an inkling of compassion for a president who has left the country with no leadership during a pandemic. Instead, I direct my regards to those who lost their lives because of his childish leadership. I feel sorrow for those who lost their jobs and cannot feed their families. Those who lost family members due to inadequate healthcare. I do not feel sorry for the man who sits in his ivory tower with the best healthcare in the country who brought this upon himself.
No one knows for a fact whether President Trump actually has the virus. What we do know is that we are so used to lies and propaganda with his administration that it is not unfathomable to think this could be a political ploy. No one can know what will happen, this is the trauma associated with this administration and its instability. I am not fully convinced this will be the final October surprise, but for the sake of the American people, I do hope it is the last.
The views expressed in the editorial and op-ed sections are not necessarily those of The USD Vista staff, the University of San Diego, or its student body.