World leaders, including British PM Boris Johnson, who himself contract coronavirus, Dutch PM Mark Rutte, Canadian PM Justin Trudeau and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu all tweeted their wishes to the president.
According to Reuters, Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday opted to send a telegram to his US counterpart, citing the Kremlin: “I am certain that your inherent vitality, good spirits and optimism will help you cope with this dangerous virus,” Putin’s telegram said.
Previous Vice President and Democratic Nominee Joe Biden responded to the news this afternoon. Trump has repeatedly mocked Biden for wearing a face mask, saying: “Every time you see him he’s got a mask. He could be speaking 200 feet away ... and he shows up with the biggest mask I’ve ever seen.” CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale has gathered a few of Trump’s attacks against Biden with regards to coronavirus:
U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has also shared his thoughts with the president, along with former U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley.
Mike Pence has tested negative for the virus, but what would happen if both were incapable of leading the country?
Under the 25th amendment of the US constitution, if a president becomes ill or is unfit to carry out tasks, there is temporary transfer of power to the vice-president, Mike Pence. If both Trump and Pence are unable to continue work, the House speaker, Nancy Pelosi, will be the next in line of succession.
There are only 33 days remaining until the election, and Trump’s positive result means he will have to self-quarantine and withdraw from the campaign trail - so no more rallies for the time being, either.
Some journalists have pointed out that during this week’s presidential debate, Trump’s guests sat unmasked in the debate hall, despite being asked by doctors to wear a mask.
Ashish Jha, the dean of the Brown University School of Public Health, said the White House team’s task to protect the president was “a total failure”. Furthermore, the president’s state of health, being a senior and overweight, means he falls in the high-risk group, Men’s Health reports.
Despite many offering their condolences, others point out that the president repeatedly downplayed the threat, refusing to wear a face mask and protect himself and others.
Here’s a summary of Trump’s memorable coronavirus remarks.
But Trump could also use this breaking news to his advantage, writes David Smith, the Guardian’s Washington correspondent:
“How will this play politically? If Trump is asymptomatic, there is a danger he could yet again seek to minimise the virus, making the case to his supporters: what’s all the fuss about? But if he becomes seriously ill, perhaps he could benefit from a surge of public sympathy, just as Johnson did.”
Meanwhile, a further article from The Guardian describes Trump’s movements in the days leading up to the positive result. He’s been in close contact with hundreds of people.
Author David Simon tweets something along similar lines.
