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On Friday they told the president on Twitter that he and his wife, Melania Trump, had been diagnosed with coronavirus.
“Today, FLOTUS (M.Trump – ed.) And I have a confirmed coronavirus infection. We begin the quarantine and recovery processes immediately. We will endure it together,” the president of the United States wrote.
The debate may not happen
Eglė Murauskaitė, a researcher at the University of Maryland and security expert, writes that the second debate scheduled for October 15 may not take place.
“After the first debate, where there was no shortage of unstructured speeches, the moderators rushed to review the rules. But polls the next day showed that most Americans have already decided why to vote and that debate no longer makes a difference. So this aspect of Trump’s illness, which is considered first, may not be the most important, “he writes on Facebook.
According to Linas Kojala, a political scientist and director of the Center for Eastern European Studies (RESC), sociology and history show that debate is not a key factor in Americans choosing a candidate.
“Clearly this year is different, the debate is more important because people have fewer opportunities to interact with candidates in the usual ways.” 15 minutes said L. Kojala.
Photo by Luke April / 15 minutes / Linas Kojala
According to E. Murauskaitė, the ailing D. Trump can get more sympathy even without active campaigning.
“There is no shortage of online activists among your supporters. Also, by not speaking out radically in face-to-face meetings, you will be less likely to hinder yourself from collecting the votes of more moderate Republicans,” the researcher writes.
According to L. Kojala, being infected with a coronavirus will complicate D. Trump’s electoral campaign.
“Its dynamism was most evident in the meetings with the voters. These meetings also took place during the pandemic, albeit in different circumstances than usual. The disease will hamper it significantly.
But in the long run, if you overcome the disease, you will definitely try to show that you are not only ready to work, but you also overcome all the challenges involved. I will try to direct the narrative in that direction. ” 15 minutes assured L. Kojala.
Reuters / Photo by Scanpix / Donald Trump
The question of the legitimacy of the elections
Trump’s doctor, Sean Conley, said Friday that the president is feeling fine and “plans to stay home in the White House until he recovers.”
According to E. Murauskaitė, if D. Trump’s state of health begins to deteriorate dramatically, “only an even greater internal crisis awaits the legitimacy of the leadership.”
“If the election goes according to plan, Trump’s supporters will get stronger arguments to dispute the result, he allegedly failed to run the campaign properly.
If more extreme scenarios emerged and the vice president had to take the lead in the current term, Republicans would be more protesting the election or its results, since it is difficult to prepare a new candidate in such a short time. Not to mention the anxiety crisis in the country, “he writes.
Photo by Lukas Balandis / 15min / Eglė Murauskaitė
L. Kojala pointed out that the electoral campaign is in the final stage, no one expects the elections to take place any more.
“Obviously the vote will take place, the candidates had many opportunities to present their ideas to the voters. In any case, COVID-19 can change the situation in one direction or another, but it does not in itself question the legitimacy of the elections. ” 15 minutes said the political scientist.
According to E. Murauskaitė, there are many fears that it is not safe to physically go to the polls, due to fewer COVID-19 activists visiting voters in person.
VIDEO: In the political debate, the American candidates set fire to a veritable sauna: yelling at each other, squandering insults and demanding to “shut up”
“Little activity is expected. The postal voting system is also a source of mistrust, and those votes could not be counted on election night. All of this reduces the legitimacy of any result in the public eye.
During the first debate, Trump avoided saying whether to recognize the election results and hand over power, and encouraged various right-wing groups to mobilize. This is fueling tensions at the moment, and many Americans fear that in November the country could enter a period of fighting, not just protests, where it is no longer clear who is in charge. As many point out, the US state apparatus is quite resilient, and despite this situation, or the elections, it will endure. But the mood and stability of the audience are quite different, ”writes E. Murauskaitė on Facebook.
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