EDITORIAL: The Straits Times says- Trump’s Covid-19 fight gets personal

Coronavirus claimed its most high-profile victim yet, with United States President Donald Trump now under quarantine two days after he appeared at a ructious presidential debate with Democratic rival Joe Biden. As leader of the world’s most powerful nation, which has reported the highest number of cases (over 7.2 million) and the most deaths (over 207,000), his illness draws attention not just to his own condition but also to his performance in combating the pandemic. He is not the first leader to have caught the virus – Brazil’s President Jair Bolsonaro and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson are among others.

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But at 74, his age makes him vulnerable to a severe form of the disease. His illness also has significant implications for the Nov 3 election. The US has not had an election in which a candidate became disabled or died after being nominated and before taking office. While his Republican Party can substitute a candidate if there is a need, it would be an added disruption in an election already fraught on many other counts, including the possibility of a contested transition. If his symptoms are mild, he stages a quick recovery and offers the narrative that he is a Covid-19 fighter, his support could increase. This was the case with Mr Bolsonaro, whose handling of the virus had been seen as inadequate. Mr Trump’s status as a victim could also prompt sympathy from the electorate and will require Mr Biden to be constrained in criticism of his opponent.

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However, while he remains in isolation, Mr Trump’s ability to campaign may be curtailed in the crucial last weeks before the election. It might keep Mr Biden, 77, from making public appearances too, out of caution for his own health. Despite the advantages of incumbency, Mr Trump has trailed Mr Biden in opinion polls, and his pugnacious performance in the presidential debate did not close the gap. His illness might remind voters of his controversial, even cavalier leadership during the crisis. He consistently downplayed the outbreak’s severity – critics say for political advantage – and discounted medical advice on the importance of wearing masks. He has campaigned in battleground states, appearing at rallies without a mask while his crowds of supporters were usually also without masks.

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Mr Trump’s handling of the outbreak has been a central theme of the election campaign. His potential to influence minds and alter the course of the fight against the pandemic is enormous. The battle is now personal, and presents him a chance to empathise with other victims, re-evaluate his attitude and rethink the approach with which his administration handles the outbreak going forward. As the virus crests again, he can no longer deny its impact and must push for a decisive breakthrough in the fight against it. That could have a greater impact on his re-election bid.