This election year taking place during a pandemic has made a lot of people concerned about the future of this country. // Photo courtesy Forbes.com

Tensions have been high around the country as the 2020 election approaches. Many factors have contributed to this particularly intense election year, but at the center of it all is the virus that has devastated the world. COVID-19 is playing an essential role in the 2020 presidential election.

“I think right now, the central issues are both COVID-19 and the economy,” said Carolyn Dudek, a professor and chair of the political science department at Hofstra. “I think those within [President Trump’s] base have a sense that COVID is not as serious of an issue and I think those that are in the other camp feel that the administration has not done a good job and are very disturbed by the poor response of the government.”

Since the virus first appeared in the United States in January, Republicans and Democrats have held opposing views on how to best handle the pandemic. There have been disputes about lockdown procedures, mask-wearing and quarantine protocols.

“There are parts of [Trump’s] base that just want to move the economy forward, regarding COVID as a way of debilitating the economy and that [we should] put the economy ahead of dealing with COVID, as if it were one or the other,” Dudek said.

However, not all Republicans believe that Trump has handled the virus effectively.

“I think he could have given a little more respect to [Dr.] Fauci and the members of the taskforce and doctors,” said Maxwell Clegg, sophomore public policy and public service and economics double major and vice president of the Hofstra College Republicans. “Trump may follow whatever the CDC says, but his rhetoric does not reflect that, so that plays a big role in how people perceive the virus.”

Dudek agrees that doctors and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) should be more respected, especially during a pandemic.

“We are questioning the CDC and the CDC has always been held to a very high standard and very highly respected,” Dudek said. “The fact that the CDC is even being questioned and becoming sort of politicized is very problematic while we’re in the middle of a pandemic.”

Despite his downplaying of the virus, President Trump contracted COVID-19 on Thursday, Oct. 5 shortly after the first presidential debate. Soon after, he was hospitalized at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to treat his symptoms. Trump was released three days later, and a secret service vehicle drove him back to the White House.

“The decision to have him drive around in that secret service vehicle … was dangerous and foolish,” said David Hirschwerk, assistant professor at the Hofstra Donald and Barbara Zucker School of Medicine and infectious disease specialist at Northwell Health.

“He claims to follow all the CDC guidelines, so therefore, he should have been in quarantine for 10 to 14 days, getting tested regularly,” Clegg said.

Days after being released, Trump claimed to be feeling much better, specifically mentioning an experimental drug cocktail made by Regeneron, a pharmaceutical company. However, Hirschwerk said that is not what most patients at the hospital would receive.

“This is not a medication, at this point, that is available to most other people,” Hirschwerk said. “It’s not something that is approved by the FDA at this point, nor is it a medication that has received emergency authorization from the FDA yet, so it is something that is still in a trial phase.”

Although Trump has not described whether his COVID-19 diagnosis resulted in any major health issues, many people around the world have been debilitated by the virus.

“The president’s situation is unique in that he’s the president and has a whole medical entourage at the White House,” Hirschwerk said. “[He’s] receiving a level of care … that just about nobody in the world would have access to.”

On top of this, some people feel the president was not upfront with his diagnosis and recovery process.

“A lot of things are still relatively unknown to the public,” said William Mason, a sophomore political science major. “The drug he was given – how much of it was required? Were there any issues during the week that he was diagnosed with it? I feel like there should be more clarity in that sense.”

At a campaign rally in Ohio, Trump said, “[COVID-19] affects virtually nobody. It’s an amazing thing.” Dudek and others have issues with statements like these coming from the president.

“I think that for families who lost loved ones and didn’t have a private helicopter [and] cutting-edge treatment … it’s almost offensive to say, ‘oh it’s not a big deal,’” Dudek said.

Molly Guinen, a sophomore drama major, has a similar opinion.

“I think the fact that he … has made a comeback is fueling his supporters to think that it’s a hoax, when it’s definitely not,” Guinen said. “Just because he survived it, doesn’t mean that other people are.”

With the election approaching, more scrutiny is being placed on the president after his COVID-19 diagnosis, which did not go unnoticed.

“I think that if he handled it better, it really could have been an asset to him,” Clegg said. He does not think that the president’s diagnosis will have an impact on the election.

“I just don’t think that it moves the needle that much,” Dudek said. “His base is his base.”

Although Trump’s diagnosis may not change voters’ minds, it has affected the presidential debates. After Trump contracted COVID-19, the Commission of Presidential Debates announced that the second presidential debate would be held virtually. However, Trump said he would not participate in a virtual debate and planned to pull out. To make up for the cancelled debate, former Vice President and Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden scheduled a town hall where selected voters could ask him questions. In response, Trump decided to hold the same event at the exact same time.

“I think that for [Trump’s] personal sake, it was a good move to not do this debate. I think he thrives well in that one-on-one, in person, live atmosphere and that would have served him greatly,” Clegg said. “To win reelection, it was smart for him to not submit to this debate.”

Although he said it was smart for Trump to pull out
of the virtual debate for the sake of his campaign, Clegg believes it is important for the country to have three presidential debates before the election.

“As a voter and as a citizen, and as somebody who is very politically involved, three debates, however the function is, it’s pretty standard. It’s precedent and that’s what should happen,” he said. “I think that Trump should have done it, for the sake of the country.”