Opinion: the politicisation of the pandemic means many Americans have refused to take precautions against the virus
The news that US president Donald Trump and the first lady, Melania Trump, have both tested positive for the coronavirus is the surprise that just about everyone expected. Despite the widespread knowledge that wearing masks and maintaining social distance can greatly reduce the spread of the virus, a significant portion of the US population has simply refused to follow these simple guidelines.
Some of this is a function of age. As college students have returned to campus, infection rates have skyrocketed and, as in Galway and Cork, reports of big parties and other mass gatherings have been in the news. In July, there were reports of "coronavirus parties" at the University of Alabama, where students put money in a pot, and the first one to get coronavirus go the money.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Morning Ireland, RTÉ Washington Correspondent Brian O'Donovan on the state of US President Donald Trump's health
Having spent most of my life as a professor, the news that college students would behave irresponsibly after a few beers was no surprise. The bigger picture, however, is a lot scarier than college students acting badly. Coronavirus and responses to coronavirus have become politicised in the US to the extent that cooperating with health authorities, wearing masks, maintaining social distance, and closing bars and indoor gatherings has become a pledge of allegiance to your political party.
The political affiliation of your state’s governor is the best predictor of whether your state put in mask and social distancing mandates. Amid rising coronavirus rates, Florida's Republican governor has lifted restrictions on bars and nightclubs, encouraging them to resume activities at full capacity, and by all indications, Happy Hour is back in Florida. Republicans are much less likely than Democrats to wear masks and Trump rallies and fundraisers continue to pack in mask-less crowds. At a Trump rally in New Hampshire, the crowd booed a request that they wear masks.
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From RTÉ One's Six One News, how will Donald Trump's Covid diagnosis affect the election outcome?
The net effect of the politicisation of health and safety measures has been that a substantial portion of the US population simply refuses to take precautions against the virus. So how did this virus become politicized? Part of this relates to the strong streak of self-reliance, belief in limited government, and resistance to being told what to do that characterised American culture. Republicans have traditionally identified more strongly with this set of beliefs than Democrats.
But the bigger factor has been the consistent efforts of the Trump administration to downplay the virus. Despite knowing by February that the virus was a serious threat to public health, Trump downplayed the virus and insisted that it would do away quickly by itself. More importantly, he consistently appeared in public without a mask and publicly disparaged people who did. Even in the most recent presidential debate (possibly one of the lowest points in American Democracy with its constant interruptions, lies and insults), Trump again made fun of Joe Biden’s decision to wear a mask at public events. Mask-wearing in the White House and federal offices has been discouraged because it is not a"good look".
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From RTÉ's State Of Minds podcast, a look at the life and times of US vice-president Mike Pence
It has become fashionable in many US circles to blame Trump for everything that goes wrong, but this is not fair. No matter who was in the White House, the US would have been hit badly by the coronavirus. However, the case of New York does illustrate the effectiveness of political leadership in controlling the coronavirus. Early in the course of Covid-19, New York City was the epicenter of the disease. A combination of daily briefings from a governor (a Democrat) who did not pull any punches, strict lockdowns and restrictions on public gatherings and careful adherence to mask and social distancing guidelines meant New York has been able to substantially control the virus.
READ: How will Donald Trump's Covid diagnosis affect the election outcome?
Will the president’s experience help to de-politicise the pandemic? Nobody knows, but the smart money is not on a change of heart. Coronavirus or no coronavirus, Trump is not someone who says "I was wrong" very often and his most zealous followers will probably continue to follow his lead. What we do not know if what would happen if the president takes a turn for the worse. Speculation about what might happen if one of the two main candidates for president were to die or become incapacitated between now and the election has already started. There are many uncertainties and all we can do is stay tuned.
The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
