Trump Has COVID megathread (update 10/24: 2 Pence staffers test positive)

[Alben Barkley]

So if Trump gets COVID, should we expect the "sympathy bump" next? Or will that just seal his fate even more?

[Alben Barkley]

It's so unfair that Trump hasn't gotten COVID yet.

Biden campaign should insist on a negative test before Trump shows up.  It could be a big news story if Trump declines.

In addition to obviously not wishing ill health on anyone, I'd rather Trump maintain his health so the voters can soundly reject him. If he dies he becomes a martyr, and we'll see endless conspiracy theory-backed violence which will almost certainly be aimed at the most marginalized population.

On the other hand, if he dies it also avoids the crisis that would result from his refusing to recognize the election results which is likely a lot worse than anything some QAnon nuts would do because they think COVID is a conspiracy.

Anyway, let’s just assume for the moment that he gets it but doesn’t die from it. I don’t honestly think he’d get much of a “sympathy bump.” Few would sympathize with him over this of all issues. He mishandles the crisis terribly, 200k dead, he tells people not to wear masks and lies about what Fauci says, makes fun of Biden for wearing one, then he gets COVID because he and his people don’t wear masks? Hard to feel much sympathy for that.

[Alben Barkley]

I have a gut feeling Trump testing positive for COVID-19 is inevitable.

Even if he did test positive, I doubt it'd get out to the public. Then again, this did so I don't know

If he’s symptomatic and it gets serious, there wouldn’t be much hiding it.

[Alben Barkley]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/hope-hicks-close-trump-aide-tests-positive-for-coronavirus/2020/10/01/af238f7c-0444-11eb-897d-3a6201d6643f_story.html

[Alben Barkley]

https://twitter.com/realDonaldTrump/status/1311892190680014849

At his age, the odds of him surviving this are not good.

Biden really should get tested too, by the way.

I’m sure he has been. Good news is Trump probably got this after the debate. Everyone was tested before going in.

[Alben Barkley]

https://twitter.com/Evan_Rosenfeld/status/1311922732150517760?s=20

https://twitter.com/IsaacDovere/status/1311924901268328449?s=20

This is definitely the best message for Biden to hammer from now until the election: “You said you were going to keep us all safe. You said you had it under control. You said it was going away. But you couldn’t even protect yourself!”

[Alben Barkley]

https://mobile.twitter.com/thehill/status/1312094920602259462
Ah well that clears it up. He’s dead

Can anyone prove he’s NOT? I mean, no one’s heard from him or seen him since this diagnosis was revealed. All we’ve heard is people telling us he’s symptomatic. And he was supposed to talk to Cuomo, but Pence did instead. Is Mike Pence the acting president right this moment???

I want to see a long-form life certificate. And I think we should shut down the White House until we can figure out what the hell is going on.

[Alben Barkley]

Oompa loompa doompety doo

I've got a perfect puzzle for you

Oompa loompa doompety dee

If you are wise you'll listen to me

What do you get when you don’t wear a mask?

Mock those who do, and are a total ass?

What are you at, getting terribly fat?

What do you think will come of that?

I don't like the look of it

Oompa loompa doompety da

If you're not greedy, you will go far

You will live in happiness too

Like the Oompa Loompa Doompety do

Doompety do

[Alben Barkley]

https://twitter.com/RebeccaBuck/status/1312152049740464128

I think the benefit of not dealing with the inherent instability and disruption of the leader of a major world power dying (regardless of that leader's performance in office) cannot be overstated.

Sounds almost as bad as the instability and disruption caused by a president refusing to peacefully transfer power.

Except we’ve survived dead presidents before, including much better presidents, but not that.

[Alben Barkley]

Never

[Alben Barkley]

Footage found of Trump and the Republican Party being exposed at the super-spreader event, after they invoked the wrath of RBG:

https://youtu.be/YcR9k8o4I0w

[Alben Barkley]

What will the MAGA death cult think of Trump if he does of Covid? Will he be deified as a Saint, the man who died for MAGA's sins? Will they think he is a weak loser for dying?

Those off the deep end (as opposed to generic right-wing populists) may unironically insist that he's not actually dead. He'll pass into urban legend as another captive of the Bilderberg-illuminati borg, perhaps sharing a living space with Tupac, Seth Rich and Bin Laden.

He’ll take over as Q from JFK Jr.

[Alben Barkley]

Conley says we are 72 hours into the diagnosis. We were told around 1 am on Friday morning that POTUS was positive, which is only 36 hours ago.

So they knew on Wednesday?

**** these people.

Didn’t he do a fundraiser on Thursday???

I’m hoping against hope he misspoke...

[Alben Barkley]

If they did know earlier, even before the debate, it was incredibly irresponsible to take him there and potentially expose Biden and others. Idiots probably thought he would remain asymptomatic and they could just sweep it under the rug, and didn’t give a damn if he infected anybody.

[Alben Barkley]

https://twitter.com/PressSec/status/1313138387994509313

She sure seems really insistent that she didn’t know about Hicks before...

[Alben Barkley]

$20 says he faints and gets admitted to the ICU.

Don’t do that.

Don’t give me hope.

[Alben Barkley]

This is actually worse than the joyride.

THIS is the next tear gas Bible photo op/Dukakis in the tank.

[Alben Barkley]

These people deserve whatever is going to happen to them.

The White House staff and Secret Service do not. They are innocent public servants who probably hate the man.