to not believe Trump has Covid?

[GeorgeDavidson]

Well, MN, does he or doesn't he?

YANBU - no, he doesn't have it
YABU - yes he probably does, why would they lie?

Is this just some ploy to miss next debates and make him look 'tough' when he sails through it without getting ill?

I thought it was a lie at first too but apparently they were flying the 2 ‘we’ve got nuclear weapons and not afraid to use em’ planes on each coast half an hour before it was announced that Trump has Covid, and they fly these when a president is incapacitated.

Makes me nervous that he might find a way to postpone the election though. There’s no way he’ll lose without kicking up a huge stink.

Of course he has it. But even if he ends up hospitalised, it won't change him. If anything, recovery will make him even more blase about it.

Well he's been doing his damnedest to try to catch it from the start, despite the best efforts of other people to protect him.

So I was absolutely expecting him to get it at some point.

Tragically, he's also been doing his best to get other people to catch it, not just holding rallies, but his staffers removed social distancing measures at a rally to pack the audience in closer.

He might want to lose. But only if it can come with a good excuse like having missed 2-4 weeks of campaigning. Maybe he saw those photos of retired Obama chilling on the beach.

'Do you think his physician, who released a statement about it, is lying?'

oh god, the innocence. Yes, I do think that it's entirely possible given the sheer amount of lies his whole administration relies on, this wouldn't even be that big a lie.

I think if there's any lying about this, it will be making it less serious than it actually is. He's 74 and obese, so he could become very ill.

That's what happened when Boris had COVID-19. We were repeatedly told that he had mild symptoms and was apparently still working when in hospital, it was only precautionary blah blah.

Then next thing we heard was that he was in intensive care and needing help with breathing.

'I don’t know but I wouldn’t like to speculate on someone’s health. The last time I did that on a forum it ended up with the person dying.'

200k Americans are dead, it could be argued that losing this one as well might actual save other lives and make the world a safer place.

I cannot see why it would be a lie. He has always downplayed it and said it was a hoax. Why would he now be saying he has it? If he is asymptomatic he will be unbearable. As I understand it Melania has symptoms, although I cannot recall what the source was for that.

@GeorgeDavidson

Well, MN, does he or doesn't he?

YANBU - no, he doesn't have it
YABU - yes he probably does, why would they lie?

Is this just some ploy to miss next debates and make him look 'tough' when he sails through it without getting ill?

He may well be trying to avoid debates, but I must admit I feel that the Vice-Presidential debate will be the one most likely to influence people. They might actually address the issues and there's a significant chance that one of them will become president by default.

People saying its a good thing are way off the mark with this.

It doesn't look great for a man who has aggressively campaigned on the basis that the virus won't touch America's greatness if he is laid out potentially for weeks - or worse -- with it. It makes him look (by his own standards of judgement) weak, careless and badly organised.

Plus it gives Biden a clear run at campaigning and it creates organisational chaos in the White House and among the viper pit of his campaigns team. It's not a good look at all...

It will of course be another opportunity to have a rant against China. And if he loses the election, obviously China will be blamed for the defeat.

@TorkTorkBam

bigliest

Don't you mean 'tremendousliest'?

I'm genuinely not sure either way. Given his actions it seems implausible that he wouldnt get it at some point. But there are lots of positives to him 'having it', all mentioned already.

I'm hoping it turns out to be a bad case that requires hospitilisation. Harder for his supporters to pretend its all some big Bill Gates conspiracy. Harder but not impossible sadly as they are literally that moronic.

It doesn't look great for a man who has aggressively campaigned on the basis that the virus won't touch America's greatness if he is laid out potentially for weeks - or worse -- with it. It makes him look (by his own standards of judgement) weak, careless and badly organised.

I mean, if people STILL think he's NOT a weak, careless person and STILL vote for him, despite his track record, him catching covid won't make a huge difference to their views.

It's "fake news"

His last debate just showed what a liability he was. YANBU. I'm very very sceptical. Much easier to have him out of the cycle - lots will vote for him anyway because he has a crazed following, some will vote out of sympathy and he won't scare anybody off.
OR if the vote goes ahead and Biden wins he can claim foul play. Lots of options, all in his favour.

I don’t believe him but I don’t know what the game plan is. He literally cannot afford to lose the election. He has $400m in personal debts due to be repaid in 3 years and it’s clear from his tax returns that he’s skint. He has pending law suits coming from all directions. There’s a chance that if he loses the election he could end up broke and jailed. He needs to stay president for the rest of his life to avoid it all.

He can’t drop out or lose. It’s all very shady. Maybe he’ll use this as an excuse to try and delay the election?

@Mittens030869

I think if there's any lying about this, it will be making it less serious than it actually is. He's 74 and obese, so he could become very ill.

That's what happened when Boris had COVID-19. We were repeatedly told that he had mild symptoms and was apparently still working when in hospital, it was only precautionary blah blah.

Then next thing we heard was that he was in intensive care and needing help with breathing.

Though I suspect Boris hit the criteria for being taken into hospital and put on oxygen well before the general public would have been.

@rorosemary

I know the chance is small and he will get the quickest, best health care available, but what happens to the election if one or both candidates die so close to the election date?

I'm not very sure, but I assume that Pence would step in and be the presidential candidate?

Regardless of anyones views on Trump,I think the reality of anyone in high office testing positive makes the public take covid more seriously. It was genuinely shocking when our pm tested positive.
How interesting would it be if Alexander Lukashenko contracts covid-19, didn't he deny that it existed. Perhaps this virus is our great leveller.

I voted YANBU but now having read this I’m not sure what to think other than what this says about our trust in politicians and their entourages!

Is it too big of a lie?

How awful that we can't even believe that he's ill when he says he is! This, from the nation of George Washington!

I always thought America valued honesty and truthfulness. It's shocking that this president has brought those values so low so quickly.

Very convenient timing....almost as convenient as BJ Covid !!

I do think he has it and very surprised he didn’t have it before.

He probably does have it. Hopefully he'll take his own advice and drink some bleach as a sort of cleansing.