2020 Election Watch: Trump’s quarantine; the VP debate; and more to watch this week
NEW YORK (AP) — Presidential politics move fast. What we’re watching heading into a new week on the 2020 campaign:
Days to general election: 29
Days to next presidential debate: 8
Days to vice presidential debate: 2
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The narrative
President Donald Trump spent the weekend in the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19, a stunning development that injected a new layer of chaos into an already turbulent 2020 contest just one month before Election Day. No first-term president has suffered such a serious health setback so close to an election.
Trump’s hospitalization has refocused the election right where Democrat Joe Biden wants it: on Trump’s uneven leadership throughout the pandemic. The Republican president has struggled to manage the nation’s response to the health crisis. After ignoring his own health experts’ recommendations for several months, now he and several senior Republicans, not to mention first lady Melania Trump, are infected.
The revelation came days after an ugly debate performance that already had Trump’s allies on the defensive. While things certainly seem to be trending in Biden’s direction, 29 days is plenty of time for another October surprise. Or three.
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The big questions
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The final thought
We’re seeing in real time the effects of Trump’s well-documented, often casual association with facts. In a genuine moment of national crisis, many people don’t know what to believe about the health of their leader.
Trump’s medical team and advisers offered conflicting information and refused to answer key questions about his health throughout the weekend. Even before the latest round misinformation, 7 in 10 Americans did not believe what Trump says about the coronavirus, according to a recent ABC News/Ipsos poll.
At moments like these, a nation needs to be able to trust its leaders. Right now, it doesn’t.
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