Faced with record levels of US coronavirus infections and a new White House outbreak, President Donald Trump declared on Monday that the pandemic was “ending anyway,” further tying his re-election bid to his ability to convince voters, including those at large rallies that defy health authorities, that the viral danger is fading.
Financial markets fell as he spoke, with investors reacting to the growing infection rates and dwindling hope of a pre-election stimulus package.
Vice President Pence cancelled a planned appearance at the US Senate for the expected confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett as a Supreme Court justice, after Democrats objected because he has been in close contact with at least one of the five staff members who tested positive for the disease in recent days.
Over the past week, the nation has suffered a 20 percent increase in new diagnosed cases, a 13% rise in hospitalizations and an 11 percent rise in daily deaths, according to Johns Hopkins University, with the seven-day average of new cases reaching its highest level ever.
The increase has been driven by spread in rural communities and northern states, including Wisconsin, Iowa, Minnesota and parts of Michigan, all of which could play a decisive role in the presidential contest.
Trump nonetheless argued in three Pennsylvania rallies – where thousands gathered without social distancing or consistent mask-wearing – that the viral danger has been exaggerated by the news media and that Democratic politicians, including the governors of several swing states, had imposed unnecessary restrictions on large gatherings for political reasons.
“It’s ending anyway. We are rounding the turn. It’s ending anyway,” Trump said of the virus at an outdoor stop in Allentown, Pennsylvania. “Normal life. That’s what we want, right? Normal life. Normal life. We just want normal life. It’s happening, very quickly.”
Before taking the stage, the president rejected his opponent Joe Biden’s claim in a statement that Trump’s strategy had been to “wave the white flag of defeat and hope that by ignoring it, the virus would simply go away.
“No, he has. He’s waved the white flag on life. He doesn’t leave his basement,” Trump said. “We’re doing a great job.
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Source: IOL
