President Trump has continued his defiant approach to COVID-19 since testing positive, thrilling his base but worrying voters he may need if he is to secure a second term in November.
Trump announced his discharge from Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, where he spent the weekend being treated for the coronavirus, the same way he did his and the first lady’s positive test: on Twitter.
“I will be leaving the great Walter Reed Medical Center today at 6:30 P.M.,” the president declared. “Feeling really good! Don’t be afraid of Covid. Don’t let it dominate your life. We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!”
Those who expected a close and personal brush with the pandemic to alter Trump’s attitude were proven wrong as the president emphasized that he was beating the coronavirus. The White House and his reelection campaign had held public events with minimal social distancing and protective face mask-wearing, especially compared to the Democrats, who have been far more cautious. That seems unlikely to change despite Trump’s own illness.
Trump’s discharge follows a weekend of the press battling for information about his condition and accusing the White House of lacking transparency. Since leaving for Walter Reed, Trump has posted several videos online in which he briefly addressed the country, including one where he teased a surprise for his cheering supporters outside the hospital. This turned out to be a quick drive-by featuring Trump waving at the crowd from inside an SUV.
“The American people like strength and optimism,” said Republican strategist John Feehery. “If the president can project peace and optimism, he can gain some momentum at the polls. He needs to refocus on the economy. Because that is where his real strength is.”
But Trump’s attitude may not reflect the public’s anxiety about the coronavirus. A Reuters poll found that 65% agreed that “if President Trump had taken coronavirus more seriously, he probably would not have been infected.” This included 9 of 10 registered Democrats and about half of registered Republicans.
Only 34% said they believed Trump tells them the truth about the virus, compared to 55% who did not and 11% who were unsure. A solid majority, 57%, disapproved of Trump’s handling of the coronavirus. This contributed to Democratic challenger Joe Biden’s 10-point lead over the president in the poll, with the former vice president winning 51% of the vote to 41% for Trump. Sixty-seven percent want to see an end to in-person campaign rallies, a major part of the president’s reelection strategy, and 59% would postpone the debates until he is healthy.
Trump has tried to project strength and confidence in the face of the pandemic, even as it led to his hospitalization and the infection of a growing number of his inner circle, including, most recently, White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany on Monday.
“President Trump has fought for better trade deals, lower taxes for the middle class, and now, he is personally fighting back against the coronavirus,” said Republican National Committee spokesman Steve Guest in a statement pushing back on what he characterized as a media overreaction. “Predictably, the media and left wing talking heads hate this and have started firing off unhinged take after ridiculous take.”
But this approach has led voters to believe that Trump is downplaying the severity of a pandemic that has killed some 205,000 people inside the United States. A Morning Consult poll found that 55% of respondents did not trust the president to give accurate information about his own health. Even some Republicans think Trump will not recover politically as well as he appears to be physically.
“I think this is it for him,” said a veteran GOP operative in Washington, D.C. “And with each new announcement of White House staffers coming down with it, it’s a daily reminder of how Trump has mishandled this from the beginning.”
Biden pulled his negative ads following Trump’s hospitalization, but the detente has ended. The vice presidential debate remains on track for Wednesday, and Biden’s running mate, Kamala Harris, famous for her prosecutorial style, is likely to focus heavily on the administration’s pandemic response. Vice President Mike Pence leads the coronavirus task force.
Prior to Trump’s trip to Walter Reed, Republicans were hopeful that his campaign would be able to turn the page to the economic reopening and the looming Supreme Court nomination fight. “This is what happens when you think you’re smarter than the experts, and I think voters will finally say, ‘Enough of the madness. Let’s get some stability back to the country,’” said the Republican operative. “It’s been a comedy of errors that could have been corrected at any point over the last eight months, and Trump has resolutely refused to do that.”
