US voters: “Show how strong Trump is as president”

“I FEEL GREAT.”

Donald Trump is back. Risen like the phoenix from the ashes, at least if he gets his way.

He tweets a lot. Since his return from Walter Reed military hospital, the corona-infected president of the United States has been posting updates on the short message service every minute, including his “great” condition. He called on Americans not to let the pandemic take over and compared the virus to the flu.

Twitter warned the publication that it was “receiving misleading and potentially harmful information” and withheld it. Facebook deleted it completely.

Trump is still contagious, and according to his doctors, his illness has yet to be overcome. But that didn’t stop him from taking a drive Sunday night to greet his followers outside the hospital (Secret Service agents in the same car are now in quarantine), nor did he release the White House the night of his return without a mask. get in.

In short, Trump is spreading false information, downplaying the virus, and putting others at risk by carelessly dealing with his illness, less than a month before the election. But the crucial question is: does that hurt you?

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The answer will come from the Americans on November 3 when they elect their president. However, a new representative poll conducted by opinion research institute SSRS on behalf of television station CNN shows an early trend. Respondents were asked to assess how Trump was dealing with the risk of infecting people in his immediate vicinity with the coronavirus.

Almost two-thirds of Americans rated his behavior as irresponsible, a clear majority. But what is interesting is what the rest responded. A third thought he had acted responsibly. Only four percent did not provide information or were undecided. So, Americans have a clear opinion on the conduct of their political leader. And, as in so many areas, it is divided.

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However, Trump’s approval ratings remain stable. News website FiveThirtyEight puts him at around 43 percent as of October 6, while 53 percent reject his office job. For a president of the United States, this is not necessarily a good number, for Trump an average one. Nothing to suggest that your diagnosis has harmed you, until now.

Author: “Trump’s illness has no influence”

Columbia University writer and lecturer Lincoln Mitchell goes so far as to say that Trump’s illness, and how he copes with it, will not affect the election. “There has been no shortage of disturbing or potentially groundbreaking news in recent months,” Mitchell wrote in a guest post for CNN.

Cite some examples: the many deaths from corona in the United States, that Trump recommended the use of bleach to prevent infection with the virus, the Black Lives Matter demonstrations, the death of Judge Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the publication of tax documents of Trump. the New York Times. “

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More losses than gains

All of these incidents would only have pushed Americans further into their political corners without changing the dynamics of the election campaign. “Most Americans have already decided what to think of Trump,” Mitchell writes. Trump’s infection won’t change that.

That’s what the voters say

If you ask around the streets of the city of Nashville, Tennessee, the picture is similar: voters who lean toward the Democrats condemn the behavior of their president. Republican voters tend to protect him.

Tyler Long is a harsh critic of the president. He disapproves of Trump’s “inability to listen to science and be considerate of those around him,” said Long, 32, who works for the state of Tennessee. His partner Ryan Jeanes nods his head. Both men tend to vote democratically, they say.

Jeanes, 42, a Nashville city guide, doesn’t think Trump’s diagnosis and handling will change the opinion of his followers. “You can do whatever you want,” she says. “It’s like a cult in which the leader does one terrible thing after another, but her followers are blind.”

Kim Goodwin describes herself as a Republican and a Trump supporter. The 40-year-old from Tennessee works in the manufacturing industry. “I hardly ever approve of his behavior,” he says, “but I think he did a great job for America.” And that is ultimately what matters. She still thinks Trump has returned from the hospital to the White House. “It shows how strong he is as a president. He does what can be done. “

Graham and Randa Rice see it similarly. The two stroll down Broadway, the entertainment district of “Music City,” as Nashville is also known. The couple is from Texas and is visiting town.

They both refer to themselves as Republicans. “I think people should let it do it,” says Randa, 34. She works as a medical assistant.

Graham thinks so too. “How you deal with your health is your business,” says the 36-year-old insurance consultant. He adds, “I really hope he does his job instead of spending a lot of time in the hospital.”

Trump’s infection is the “October surprise”

Trump’s coronavirus infection is possibly what’s called an “October surprise,” like an unexpected turn in October, just before the presidential election. America always chooses in November. “October surprises” can significantly influence the outcome of an election. But it can also be quite different.

Four years ago, Trump came close to being elected president of the United States. Only at that time hardly anyone in political Washington suspected that. Polls predicted Democrat Hillary Clinton as the winner of the election.

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About a month before the election, the Washington Post published a 2005 video of Trump making obscene remarks about women. “Take them by the cunt and you can do anything,” he says. Trump’s opponents thought he was done with this statement. You were wrong.

It remains to be seen if the surprise in October this year will change the election. But it seems that Americans have already made a decision in the last four years whether they are in favor of Trump, black or white. There are few shades of gray in this election campaign.