Trump aides reportedly think he'll 'face a harsh judgment from voters' after COVID-19 diagnosis

US President Donald Trump walks from Marine One after arriving on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, DC, October 1, 2020, following campaign events in New Jersey.

(Image credit: Getty Images)

published 2 October 2020

Aides to President Trump reportedly believe he'll "face a harsh judgment from voters" after contracting COVID-19.

After Trump announced that he and first lady Melania Trump had both tested positive for COVID-19, The New York Times reported that "strategists in both parties and even senior aides to Mr. Trump said the president would face a harsh judgment from voters for throwing the country into greater uncertainty after one of the most trying years in American history."

The Times goes on to report that advisers to Trump acknowledge that his positive diagnosis will "remind voters of how dismissive" he has been about the coronavirus. "Mr. Trump's recklessness, one adviser admitted, amounted to a political 'disaster,'" the Times writes. Trump has continued to hold large rallies amid the pandemic and rarely worn a mask, and he told journalist Bob Woodward that he wanted to downplay the risks of COVID-19.

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Democratic pollster Geoff Garin told the Times that Trump "is now in the position of becoming exhibit No. 1 for the failure of his leadership on coronavirus, and he runs the risk that his supporters will feel misled by his dismissiveness of the virus and the need for precautions," while Republican consultant Rob Stutzman told the Times that "it's hard to imagine this doesn't end his hopes of re-election."

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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