We don’t know yet if we’ll one day be able to say: “I remember exactly where I was when I found out Donald Trump tested positive for coronavirus.” But it’s an event that is already spawning an entire cottage industry of conspiracy theories.
There is a ton of speculation — and that’s all it is, speculation — that this diagnosis is fake. It’s intended to give Trump an easy way to get out of future disastrous debates. Or even to bail out of an election that he’s in danger of losing, something Trump HATES to do. Or it’s to garner sympathy for his plight. Or so that he can come roaring back in two weeks, having vanquished the China virus, either through sheer force of will or with the help of his own patented miracle cure of hydroxychloroquine mixed with a three-inch layer of pancake makeup.
At times like this, it’s good to remember Occam’s Razor — the simplest explanation is usually the most likely. And the simple explanation is that Donald Trump was a COVID infection waiting to happen — an older American who appeared to regularly disregard his own government’s guidelines, regularly wandering into crowded events, generally avoiding (and even mocking) mask wearing, seeming to never take the virus seriously.
This “October surprise” would frankly have been more surprising if Trump HADN’T contracted the virus, given his risk factors and risky behavior. So I think the diagnosis is true and should be taken seriously. As many people who have had it can tell you, it’s not a game. It’s not the seasonal flu. It’s dangerous. It’s serious.
I join (almost) all Americans in wishing the President a full and speedy recovery. I hope he’s able to return to the campaign trail — with appropriate precautions for himself and his supporters. I want us to have an election decided on a full and thorough discussion of the issues, not on the whims of a virus.
