Nov. 15, 2020
By Ella Sorg
Staff Writer
When President Donald Trump announced in a tweet on Oct. 2 that he tested positive for Covid-19, many Americans were left wondering: How could someone as well-protected as the president have contracted this deadly virus?
The president of the United States is one of the most powerful people in the world. Even the queen of England and the supreme leader of North Korea did not contract this virus, and they are just as protected as the president is. But he did, and so did First Lady Melania Trump and their son Barron who allegedly showed no symptoms.
The best reason to explain why the president contracted this virus is because he is always out and about. In the months leading up to the presidential election, he attended meetings, spoke at rallies and participated in a presidential debate. He rarely wears a mask, which also increased the likelihood of him getting sick.
The first lady most likely caught Covid-19 from her husband since she often tagged along with him on the campaign trail.
The president and first lady have not taken the necessary precautions and have repeatedly violated the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidance on the coronavirus. In fact, on Oct. 6 when Trump—still contagious—returned to the White House after being treated at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, MD, he removed his mask right before entering. That served as a big threat to everyone in the building.
On Oct. 4, while still being treated at Walter Reed, the president went for a joyride around the block. This infuriated people around the world since he put the lives of the Secret Service officers in the car with him at risk. This joyride was not essential; he just wanted to surprise his supporters. Although everyone in the car was wearing masks, he was not maintaining proper social distancing guidelines.
The health of the nation’s commander-in-chief is a matter of concern for all Americans.
Furthermore, the president should have quarantined in the White House until revealing to the public negative test results, so he would not be putting others at risk. In attempts to reduce the risks to his and others’ health, it would also have been a good idea for Trump to have agreed to conduct his debates virtually and refrain from putting lives in danger by hosting so many at the White House.
Even on Election Night, the president put others’ health in jeopardy when he hosted a party for about 200 people in the East Room of the White House. As of Nov. 11, at least five of those attendees had been diagnosed with Covid-19. Also, as of Nov. 13, more than 130 Secret Service officers had tested positive for the virus or are quarantining after being exposed to an infected coworker. This is approximately ten percent of the federal law enforcement agency’s core security team. For the first time ever, on Nov. 13, the United States saw over 150,000 new cases in a single day, but the president continues to show that he does not care about the health of his party members, staff and the American people.
It is hard to believe that the first lady and president recovered so quickly, especially considering the president’s age and weight. Trump posted an Instagram video explaining the medicine they were given and the positive impact it had. It is certainly true they got the best possible care while sick, and every American deserves to receive that same quality of treatment.
The Trumps’ quick recovery led to speculation that the family may have been faking their illness. These theories are far-fetched, but the first couple would have had good reason to flaunt their speedy recovery to subdue the public’s fears about the virus.
The president and first lady need to take more precautions not just for themselves but for the American people. The health of the nation’s commander-in-chief is a matter of concern for all Americans. Whenever a president has a health condition, it hinders his ability to perform his leadership functions. One would hope that after he contracted the virus, he would care more about it and show more concern for the health of all Americans. Unfortunately, that has not happened.
