Don't be surprised if Trump receives sympathy support for this...

[Drunken Irishman]

Most Americans are likely going to take sympathy on anyone who's facing a monumentally difficult moment. I know it's easy to look at this through a partisan lens but whether you feel a tinge of relief or a force of karma, it's possible you are in the minority. I am not going to tell you how to feel - but only to express that a difficult fight over the next month for Trump in this battle could have the exact opposite effect many of you are hoping for - a health rebound and a wave of sympathy that completely overshadows his debate performance from the other night.

Personally? I don't feel happy about this. I feel sad it's gotten to this. But I also am angry it's gotten to this. But i understand why some would feel this deserving after he's played down the virus at the level he has. To that I say, I think there's merit there. But in the end, don't be surprised if at least a decent amount of Americans rally behind him in this crisis.

[kysrsoze]

1. Maybe from his base. How many will figure out he's a liar?

[Moostache]

2. People more charitable than I may give a fuck for him...

I have NONE left for him.

Fuck him, his family and his supporters.
My mother lies dying in a hospital bed that I cannot visit. I will NEVER forget this, I will NEVER forgive him.

If he dies, he dies and good riddance.

[Drunken Irishman]

5. Sure but this could also help him in the upcoming election.

Sympathy helps. A lot.

[Moostache]

15. I have even more enmity for people who would be stupid enough to feel sorry for him at all.

That man deserves to experience the absolute worst that this virus can dish out and if people feel fucking sorry for him and allow that to influence their vote in any way, then fuck them too.

[Thekaspervote]

8. Exactly!

[stopbush]

3. Nah.

[DLCWIdem]

4. Some may feel sympathy

Some wont. One of the tweets after his tweet was. : it is what it is. Alot of hard liners will not feel sympathy.

[Thekaspervote]

6. The news cycle will turn to it. As far as sympathy votes or electoral support...

People are too angry at him over this pandemic. They might have a pang of sympathy but in reality they still want rid of him!!

[Drunken Irishman]

11. I know it's not a direct comparison but Boris Johnson's approval surged when he tested postiive.

Before he tested positive, after many Britons had turned on him for his response to the pandemic, his approval rating was at 46%. After he tested positive, it jumped to 66%.

It's tapered off since then but we're a month out from the election.

[chriscan64]

36. Sympathy will be tempered

by the common knowledge that he did this to himself. It will not necessarily translate to 'he needs to keep being the president for 4 more years'.

[Darwin2019]

7. Remember when Hillary got sick. This makes him look weak.

Democrats should express sympathy but repeat that he will not be up to the job due to lasting effects.....

[Thekaspervote]

18. Looking weak for a guy whose whole schtick has been playing the authoritarian tough guy

Is not a win with his base...

Remember, they think it’s a hoax

[JI7]

9. I can understand people having sympathy for him but why do you think that would also mean Political

support ?

[Drunken Irishman]

14. I don't - I am speculating. But it happened for Boris Johnson.

His approval shot up 20 points after he tested positive and had major complications. It peaked at 66% a week or so after testing positive.

Even a month after testing positive, he was still in the high 50s.

[JI7]

21. It happened to him early on and his denials about the virus did not continue after that

He gave credit to their health care system and to the immigrant doctors and other medical workers.

Boris Johnson isn't like Donald Trump .

Trump is on record as downplaying the virus until just this past debate . He is on record as knowing about it and lying about it.

There isn't really a comparison.

Also most people in the UK including those who support Johson hates Trump.

[Drunken Irishman]

22. I hope you're right.

[BlueWavePsych]

39. NHS (National Health Service) played a big part and was seen as hero.

No such thing here.

[Fiendish Thingy]

10. True or not, he will milk it for sympathy, while his minions attempt to mess with early voting

And of course to get out of the debates.

[BlueWavePsych]

41. Weakness is the last thing IT wants to project.

There is no upside.

[Awsi Dooger]

12. I was not rooting for this either

I didn't understand the anticipation here. Normalcy was working fine for Biden. Now an unknown variable is interjected.

I'd have to say the early voting underway will favor Biden very slightly beyond what it would have been. Beyond that is uncertain. If Trump's approval rating goes up, then his vote share likely follows

[liberalmediaaddict]

13. He kept putting himself at risk

Not wearing masks, holding rallies, pretending it's over. Hard to have a lot of sympathy for Covid deniers. It's like he was daring the gods to give it to him.

This will definitely change the course of the campaign. I just hope he didn't expose Biden.

[moonscape]

16. I'm hoping it means we can finally focus on covid,

a wake-up call for non mask wearers that it is important! That it will highlight how 45 has been endangering and killing us.

[Guy Whitey Corngood]

17. This isn't good..... nt

[bluecollar2]

19. Fuck him...n/t

[LeftInTX]

20. I don't think so

Trump fashions himself as the ultimate bully. No on has ever had sympathy for him before and he was not elected president because he was a nice person.

He will not get sympathy. If he really gets sick, he will be seen as weak. (I pray, he gets really sick)

[torius]

23. He would scorn the idea of sympathy

He would use any caring to further his con. He is responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths and by doing nothing about the virus, even spreading it freely, he has made the US a threat to world stability.

[Thekaspervote]

24. I think the question here is will this change the minds of Biden voters? Really?

Sympathy sure..from some
Attention from the media, yes
Will Americans still think he’s unfit for office, yes
What Americans know of covid, will they really then want to re-elect him?
Biden will be his usual calm self wish them well, do the right thing. Nothing will change there

[Cha]

35. No it won't.. Please see my post # 32, Kasper..

https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1002&pid=14180847

[yonder]

25. Good words, DI.

[womanofthehills]

26. There are so many Trump voters who think Covid-19 is a hoax

What about them? They might think they have been lied too. If he gets Covid-19, it’s a good thing because it could convince some Republicans to wear a mask and possibly wake up some Republican governers. Trump getting it could save American lives.

[Drunken Irishman]

27. No. They'll just blame China and the Deep State.

[ooky]

28. I doubt it.

Not enough to make any kind of ripple in the polls.

[NewsCenter28]

29. Of all people on this board, I am stunned you are now predicting a Trump GE victory

You're not usually prone to panic like this. I, for the record, don't think it guarantees Trump re-election at all.

[Drunken Irishman]

30. I am not predicting a Trump victory.

All I am doing is pointing to the fact that Trump could see a surge of support over sympathy that improves his chances. Boris Johnson in the UK saw a 20 point surge of support after testing positive. It didn't last - but by the time his approval had dropped back to the levels seen before his crisis, a couple months had passed. Even a month out from testing positive, he still was 10+ points better than prior to the crisis.

Trump's approval right now is 43.8% (according to 538). I don't think he'll see a 20 point bump but even a five point bump takes him to 48.8% and that changes everything.

Now it's possible Americans don't rally around him and fault him for his dismissive approach to the virus and his approval actually gets worse ... but to be honest, with how Americans have historically rallied around the president in crazy moments, it would not surprise me if that didn't happen and he saw some boost in the polls.

NOW if Biden tests positive too because of the debate, then Trump is toast.

[NewsCenter28]

38. Yeah I see your point

Right now, it seems a relatively mild case though. As long as he doesn't deteriorate further, I think it'll largely be forgotten by the VP debate. It would take him ending up in hospital and surviving an epic illness to move the numbers permanently. Don't forget Johnson almost died and that's what moved the numbers. So, in short, I think it boils down to if he ends up in ICU or not.

[Drunken Irishman]

40. I mean, it's extremely early into it. He probably won't show symptoms for a few days if he does.

He's high risk - even more so than Boris Johnson.

[NewsCenter28]

43. This might make you feel better

Dr. Gupta just said on CNN that his survival odds are greater than 90%. Also, there are new drugs out there now that may prevent him from getting as sick as Johnson.

That said, I'm with ya in wishing him good health and agree that we don't want a Presidential death resulting in Pence.

[ansible]

31. Never underestimate the stupidity of the voting public

Trump perfectly timed this for October 1 too and two days after the debate. How convenient.

[Cha]

32. Why should trump get "sympathy" for Reaping what he Sowed?

trump still called it a "democrat hoax for 70
precious days" & encouraging his fans Not to wear masks.. trump Mocked Masks.. Mocked them at the Debate.. Mocked Biden wearing Masks.. & now trump has COVID.

Also trump has been documented as the number 1 person in the country who has spread the Most Misinformation about COVID.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1017609169

trump LIED to the Country about COVID now there are at least 211, 000 people dead from it.. and it caught up with trump, too.

[Sogo]

33. They may rally around him in sympathy, but I think it means the end of his Presidential run...

This isn’t the flu. He’s in a high risk category and people aren’t going to vote for someone who may not live to Nov. 3, or have debilitating symptoms that linger on.

[LisaL]

34. We don't even know if he will get symptoms as of now.

Yes, he is high risk, but he is also Teflon.

[Sogo]

44. Who said he doesn't have symptoms?

[Drunken Irishman]

37. Okay - let's say he dies in three weeks.

I hope not. But let's say he passes from this and Pence takes over. What happens then? Does Pence win due to support for rallying the country in the wake of a president's death?

Granted, he would NOT be the president elect, it would be Trump, and the electors would then decide ... but in that scenario, Biden isn't winning, so...

[BGBD]

42. I disagree

I think this works the other way. This just highlights how much risk there is of infection for everyone and how bad this still is.

[ecstatic]

47. Pence will not win. Anyone who took part in trump's wannabe dictatorship is finished. nt

[ecstatic]

45. People feel sympathy when someone is hurt due to no fault of his/her own

This clown has been waltzing around the country with no mask, holding packed rallies, and brutally mocking those who have been trying to take the proper precautions. He's been shitting on scientists from day 1. Why on Earth would anyone feel sorry for him?

[GulfCoast66]

46. I think you underestimate that Americans are cynical at heart

Everyone, right and left, realize trump has downplayed the pandemic.

Except for his base, this will more amusement than anything.

Americans love nothing more than a self owned mistake.