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GRAND RAPIDS, Michigan: For months, Donald Trump mocked Joe Biden for his cautious campaign during the coronavirus pandemic.
But with the president in quarantine since Friday after testing positive for COVID-19, his Trump train derailed for now, Democratic challenger Biden has the stage for him just a month before Election Day.
It’s too early to predict how Trump’s diagnosis could affect the race for the White House, which is already America’s most turbulent presidential battle in modern times and one that is repeatedly turned upside down by historical events.
But the irony of the latest twist in the septuagenarian showdown did not go unnoticed by anyone.
After all, on Tuesday night Trump redoubled his jokes with Biden for taking too many precautions against the virus.
“He could be talking 200 feet away from you and he’s wearing the biggest mask I’ve ever seen,” the 74-year-old Republican incumbent scoffed.
In the early months of the pandemic, while Biden, 77, remained isolated in his Delaware home, Trump disparaged “Sleepy Joe” for “hiding” in his basement, a charge his supporters licked and repeated ad infinitum.
But on Friday, Trump was the one who ducked and received treatment at Walter Reed Military Hospital after his positive diagnosis.
LEE: Trump will spend days in the military hospital after the diagnosis of COVID-19
Biden has primarily been meticulous about avoiding crowds and wearing masks in public.
But she was on stage with the president during their rampant debate, three nights before Trump’s diagnosis.
Biden and his wife were quickly tested for the virus on Friday. Minutes after his results came back negative, his team ignited the field plane and Biden flew to the Michigan battlefield, a key Rust Belt state that Trump claimed in 2016.
READ: Biden comes out on campaign after negative test for COVID-19
The grim appearance at a union in Grand Rapids had only a few dozen people in attendance and no visible personal interaction with voters.
But the message was clear: Biden will not allow Trump’s diagnosis to disrupt his own campaign, which has recently escalated, including Wednesday’s train tour of Ohio and Pennsylvania.
Michigan voters who lined the road in front of Biden’s event offered their own opinion on recent events, with a woman holding a small sign that read “Masks Work.”
Biden’s speech, which he delivered with a face mask, focused on the economy, but also touched on the explosive headline of the day.
“It is an invigorating reminder to all of us that we have to take this virus seriously. It is not going to go away automatically,” he said, perhaps a blow to Trump’s repeated insistence that the virus will simply “go away.”
“But this cannot be a partisan moment,” Biden emphasized. “It must be an American moment (when) we come together as a nation.”
‘BE PATRIOTIC’
Biden urged people to wear masks, wash their hands and practice social distancing.
“Be a patriot,” he said. “It’s not about being a tough guy, it’s about doing your part.”
However, Biden refrained from directly criticizing his opponent and ended his speech with warm wishes for his adversary.
“May God protect the first family and every family that is dealing with this virus,” Biden said.
His campaign team said it was pulling all negative anti-Trump ads scheduled to air on Friday.
Some pro-Biden voices wondered whether he should take action when the president, who disparages Biden, attacks the integrity of mailed ballots and remains at the polls, is on the ropes.
“Smash Trumpism, beat him up. Repost your ads. This is an hour of struggle,” Steve Schmidt, a former Republican anti-Trump strategist, tweeted Friday.
“Magnanimity and grace in victory. For now, total political war.”
Others recalled how Trump, at a rally four years ago, openly mocked Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton after she was treated for pneumonia during her 2016 career.
Biden only increased his travel schedule in late August, after months of virtual events or in-person appearances not far from Wilmington.
LEE: Trump will fulfill his duties ‘without interruptions’ while recovering from COVID-19: doctor of the president of the USA.
LEE: Trump’s age and health problems increase his risk of contracting the COVID-19 disease
During that time, Trump traversed the nation, holding rallies sometimes with thousands in attendance. These were mainly held outdoors, but few attendees wore masks.
With just 32 days left until Election Day, Trump’s campaign team announced that its events would be virtual or postponed until further notice.
Meanwhile, Team Biden announced new events: His wife Jill visits Minnesota on Saturday, while former rival Senator Bernie Sanders defends him in New Hampshire.
And Biden’s running mate, Sen. Kamala Harris, was in Nevada on Friday. The 55-year-old woman tested negative on Friday, as did Vice President Mike Pence, with whom she will debate on October 7.
The next Trump-Biden showdown is scheduled for Oct. 15 in Miami, but it was unclear if that would happen.
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