Trump's illness halts campaign just when it needs an October boost [View all]

[brooklynite]

Washington Post

Despite the rosy prognostications of his physician over the weekend, Trump’s illness has effectively stalled his campaign with just four weeks until Election Day and with voters already casting early ballots in many states.

“This effectively freezes the campaign at a point where the president’s at a deficit,” said pollster Neil Newhouse, who does not work for the Trump campaign but advises many other Republican candidates. “This is the period in time we were hoping to close the gap, and this makes it more of a challenge.”

Trump aides acknowledge that the president’s illness has been unhelpful because it draws national attention to his administration’s handling of the pandemic. They also say that the president being hospitalized undercuts what he views as his main attribute over Biden: That he appears stronger and tougher.

“Anytime the conversation is about coronavirus, it’s not helpful for us,” said a senior administration official, who like some others interviewed for this story spoke on the condition of anonymity to be candid.