Classified as the epicenter of the pandemic since April, the United States faces difficulties in controlling the spread of the virus in the country. With about 6 million cases (Johns Hopkins University, set. of 2020), the Trump administration suffers several criticisms from the population, given its difficulty in mitigating the effects of the global health crisis. Like this, both the president's response to the coronavirus, as to his opponent's proposals are significant factors in the voting decision of American society in the November elections.
In this way, this article will discuss the Trump administration's actions towards the pandemic, analyzing the data and assessing the effect on voters. And also how the topic has been dealt with in the rallies and campaigns of both candidates.
Federal Government Actions
The US Government's plan to combat coronavirus is based on three main pillars, testing expansion, economic aid for American workers and mobilization of the federal government and the private sector.
From an analysis of the numbers already presented, the impact of coronavirus in the United States involves economic and social aspects. Not graphic 1 it can be seen that the peak of deaths was between 10 e 30 of April, where they achieved more than 14 deaths per million inhabitants. The serious scenario that the country faces is the result of an inefficiency of crisis management carried out by the federal government. According to the ABC News (2020), in day 17/03/20 all states already had virus contamination, However, Only in 07/04/20 social isolation was enacted in all states (Time and Date, 2020), because of the delay in making the decision. The situation demonstrates the lack of cohesion between governors and the federal government. For better efficiency, the actions should be joint and aligned in the different federative instances.
In terms of testing, the government has already made available 70,155,956, with 9% positive results (Centers for Disease Control and prevention, 2020). Yet, by the study published by NY Times ( 2020) demonstrates that only 10 From 50 states are above the percentage of tests needed, with a national average that reaches 52% of the necessary testing. It is possible to identify, from Graph 3, which at first, the number of tests did not keep up with the growth of cases and, consequently, of deaths, again demonstrating government failure in the initial management of the crisis. Lack of testing makes it difficult to identify and isolate infected people, which can spread the number of contaminated. It is also possible to identify, in graph 2, an increase in the number of cases in the 100 days and the number of deaths in the 21 of June, not graphic 1. This rise is the result of policies to make isolation more flexible., that occur differently in each state, but they were before 21 of June (NY Times, 2020).
Graphic 1:
Source: Our World in Data, 2020. Available in www.ourworldingdata.com 13/08/2020
Graphic 2:
Source: Our World in Data, 2020. Available in www.ourworldingdata.com 13/08/2020
Graphic 3:
Source: Our World in Data, 2020. Available in www.ourworldingdata.com 13/08/2020
With regard to economic assistance policies, specific measures were, already in may, relief resources that totaled 2,4 trillions of dollars (USA today, 2020), aid that exceeds the GDP value of all countries below the seventh economy in the world. Policies are mostly aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises, branches that need this assistance the most to continue operating after a pandemic. There was also a program to help small businesses, the Paycheck Protection Program that, according to the Federal Government, protected 51 million American jobs (WHITE HOUSE, 2020).
The US has not spent so much since World War II (USA TODAY, 2020), government resources to tackle the crisis have exceeded the country's GDP. The data indicate a retraction of 32,9% that was felt in the second quarter of 2020 (CNBC, 2020). On the question of the federal government and the private sector, every effort was made to ensure the lives and safety of Americans, according to the White House website. Measures, like the national emergency declaration, flexibilization of health systems and teleconsultations, have already been taken before the peak of contamination. On the issue with the private sector, Donald Trump utilizou do Defense Production Act (DPA, Production defense act) more of 30 times, act that gives the president, under an emergency, the control of national industries to allocate their infrastructure to focus on the development of something beneficial for the country. The actions were aimed at medical articles and essential items, mainly respirators, that according to the White House, more than 100.000 respirators, companies like General Motors have given up their factories (THE TIMES 2020). The impacts of this action have not yet been calculated.
| Federal Government measures | Financial impact | Effects of the measures |
| Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) act | Economic stimulus project for 2 trillions of dollars | Economic relief for companies, individuals, cities, tribal states and communities |
| Coronavirus Tax Relief | Impacts to be analyzed after payment | Extension of the period for payment of income tax |
| Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) | Increase of 20% in monthly TANF payments | Increases economic benefits for families in need of assistance |
Sources: IRS. Coronavirus Tax Relief for Businesses and Tax-Exempt Entities. GOVTRACK. H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. OFFICE OF REGIONAL OPERATIONS. COVID-19 Resources for State, Local, and Tribal Human Services Leaders.
A survey by the Fivethirtyeight, in 2020, demonstrated that, after the country reaches 10.000 dead (6 April 2020), the Trump administration's approval dropped from 48,6% in April for 38% In August. The reaction of society was also reflected in the electoral polls, pointing Biden in the lead with 8 more points than Trump (Fox News Poll, June of 2020). In Ian Bremmer's view “It is presidential incompetence that has the greatest potential to seriously harm the United States.” (FHC Foundation, 2020)
According to the New York Times (year), the president says he is not losing, because the searches are fake, just like you did in 2016. However, the impact of population discounting on the November election led Trump to change his stance on the virus, for example, stated that it is a patriotic act to wear masks and also resumed daily press conferences on coronavirus (The New York Times, 2020), that had been suspended in April.
Candidates' position in relation to the pandemic
American election campaigns for 2020 address very divergent themes and promises. Given the problems caused by the coronavirus, for both the economy and health, the two candidates appeal to their audiences, aligning with the agenda that they consider to be more important.
Representing the Republican Party, Trump demonstrates prioritizing the welfare of the economy, so much in your current government, as well as in his promises if he is re-elected. The president points out that through tax cuts and economic reform, your government will generate jobs again in the country (White House, 2020). To control the economic recession caused by the pandemic, Trump seeks to open trade again through a plan composed of 3 phases. Its reopening plan consists of analyzing the state's pandemic scenario and then, if the contagion is controlled on the spot, release trade opening following sanitary measures and only for those who are not part of the risk group.
On the other hand, the democratic representative, Joe Biden, promotes accessible health for all and draws attention to the crisis in the sector. Democrat defends Obamacare, emphasizing that every American should have a quality and affordable health plan, making this a central issue in your campaign. Besides that, Biden criticizes the way Trump handled the pandemic, pointing out that your first step, elected case, will be controlling the virus (Politician, 2020).
Initially, the republican campaign made a series of videos called “Team Trump Online” in an attempt to replace the traditional rallies. Unlike your campaign in 2016, focused on social networks, and adapting to the pandemic, the president has used other virtual media as well as an app that connects voters to news, virtual events and opportunities for voters to volunteer in the campaign. According to the president's campaign website, this current marketing operation has raised more than 730 million dollars, proving efficient.
Despite the investment in the online campaign, Trump faces major challenges with voters in 2020 due to the critical situation in which the United States finds itself, being the current epicenter of the coronavirus pandemic. In a Pew Research survey (April, 2020), 65% of respondents said they believed that the president presented a slow response to the crisis. In an attempt to counter criticism, the Republican campaign ran an ad with clips of Democratic governors praising his response to the fight against the covid-19.
Initially, the American president claimed that, if necessary, would continue only with the virtual rallies, however, day 21 July, the republican held his first rally of the year in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In an attempt to recreate the success that these events produced in his campaign to 2016, Trump spoke to 6 a thousand people pointing out that the lying media were falsely warning about the health risks of the event in relation to the pandemic. Masks were delivered at the event entrance – for optional use – and temperature measurement of the public. The event had severe criticism from health officials, stating that the rally probably contributed to the increase in Covid-19 cases in Tulsa.
Given the context of the pandemic, the Democratic candidate’s campaign has been running only digitally, mainly through your website and social networks, but there is the intention to expand it to physical means at some point before November. Despite Biden's plans, their departure from home depends on the endorsement of health workers.
In its beginning, the campaign faced criticism from Democrats, who believe that she was not well articulated and prepared enough, affecting the candidate's visibility. Despite criticism, the Biden campaign manager, Jennifer O’Malley Dillon, stated that the time is not ripe for a physical campaign, since it would put the candidate’s life at risk, in addition to claiming that voters are able to connect with the former vice president through virtual means as strongly as personally. Dillon points out that now is the time to use virtual tools like Zoom calls and virtual rallies, arguing that people are more likely than ever to participate in these events (Washington Post, August 2020).
In the digital environment, senior Biden campaign officials say they have doubled the size of their digital team and intend to start a live streaming platform in an attempt to meet the challenges of running an almost exclusively virtual campaign. In person, the democrat held a small event in philadelphia to discuss economics, the meeting was attended by approximately 20 people, between them, local reporters and merchants. The event promoted social isolation, adding sticky circles around the chairs, use of mask and temperature measured at the entrance. In this ocasion, Biden said he does not intend to hold rallies this year in view of the pandemic scenario and criticized Trump's stance in Tulsa, stating that the president put the health of his audience at risk.
In addition to criticism of the way the Trump administration is dealing with the pandemic, Joe Biden created a website to publicize the “Biden plan to combat coronavirus and future global health threats”. On the candidate website, he sets out the actions he intends to take as president to fight the virus, promising an efficient public health service that prevents the spread of the disease, that guarantees rapid tests and treatments for those infected. Biden says he has experience with this type of scenario since he was in the lead, along with Obama, during the H1N1 crisis, in 2009, and ebola in, 2014 (The Biden Plan to Combat Coronavírus (COVID-19), 2020).
Biden promotes decisive actions by the public health system as a solution to contain the current scenario, ensuring free treatment and prevention for all citizens and also the development of a vaccine. He also highlights in his plan the importance of investing in science to contain the crisis, other than that, points to the need for a decisive economic response that starts with paid emergency leave for workers harmed by the pandemic
In general, there is a big difference between the priorities and promises of the two presidential candidates, while the republican prioritizes the economy the democrat guides his campaign around health. Trump's difficulty and delay in adopting measures to control the coronavirus in the country also play an essential role in Americans' voting decision, which resulted in a disapproval of the president's response to the crisis on the part of 57,7% of the population (FiveThirtyEight, August 2020). However, the improvement of economic indicators can positively impact Trump's image and favor his position with voters. Binden has the challenge of showing that his government will have better results and his proposals are better than Trump's.
Therefore, it is possible to take as a basis that both candidates make polarized decisions and focused on their own electoral niche. While Biden preaches a nostalgic pro-health speech at the end of the war and sets aside economic issues in a scenario of a global financial crisis greater than 2008, the Trump administration has neglected the health crisis by demonstrating one of the worst coronavirus managements in the world. Lastly, the electoral race is being fought by horses with blinders that are unable to blur their electoral bases, with positions so specific that any mistake becomes a political scandal. It is questionable whether, after taking office, the elected candidate will be able to present a solution to the greatest crisis of the 21st century..
BIBLIOGRAPHY
ABC NEWS. Timeline: How coronavirus got started. Available in: https://abcnews.go.com/Health/timeline-coronavirus-started/story?id=69435165. Access in: 3 set. 2020
BROOKINGS. Money, Money, Money: The Fiscal Response to Covid-19. Available in: https://www.brookings.edu/blog/up-front/2020/03/24/money-money-money-the-fiscal-response-to-covid-19/. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
CNBC. Second-quarter GDP plunged by worst-ever 32.9% amid virus-induced shutdown. Available in: https://www.cnbc.com/2020/07/30/us-gdp-q2-2020-first-reading.html. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
CNN. Trump campaign laying groundwork for a return to in-person rallies. Available in: https://edition.cnn.com/2020/05/15/politics/trump-campaign-rallies/index.html. Access in: 15 May. 2020.
COUNCIL OF FOREIGN RELATIONS. What Is the Defense Production Act?. Available in: https://www.cfr.org/in-brief/what-defense-production-act . Access in: 1 jun. 2020.
COVID-19 MAP – JOHNS HOPKINS. COVID-19 Dashboard by the Center for Systems Science and Engineering (CSSE) at Johns Hopkins University (JHU). Available in: https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/map.html. Access in: 3 set. 2020.
DONALD J. TRUMP. TIMELINE: THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION’S DECISIVE ACTIONS TO COMBAT THE CORONAVIRUS. Available in: https://www.donaldjtrump.com/. Access in: 15 May. 2020.
FIVETHIRTYEIGHT. How Americans View The Coronavirus Crisis And Trump’s Response. Available in: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/coronavirus-polls/. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
FOX NEWS. Fox News Poll: Biden holds lead over Trump as coronavirus concerns grip nation. Available in: https://www.foxnews.com/politics/fox-news-poll-biden-holds-lead-over-trump-as-coronavirus-concerns-grip-nation. Access in: 2 set. 2020.
FHC FOUNDATION. Covid-19 and the Geopolitical Recession – por Ian Bremmer. Available in: https://fundacaofhc.org.br/iniciativas/debates/covid-19-e-a-recessao-geopolitica-por-ian-bremmer. Access in: 2 set. 2020.
GAZETA NEWS. Small businesses can now apply for forgiveness for Covid-19. Available in: https://gazetanews.com/pequenas-empresas-ja-podem-solicitar-o-perdao-da-divida-por-covid-19/ . Access in: 31 May. 2020.
GOVTRACK. H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act
H.R. 748: Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act. Available in: https://www.govtrack.us/congress/bills/116/hr748/text. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
IRS. Coronavirus Tax Relief for Businesses and Tax-Exempt Entities. Available in: https://www.irs.gov/coronavirus/coronavirus-tax-relief-for-businesses-and-tax-exempt-entities. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
JOE BIDEN . Healthcare. Available in: https://joebiden.com/healthcare/. Access in: 4 May. 2020.
JOE BIDEN. THE BIDEN PLAN TO COMBAT CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) AND PREPARE FOR FUTURE GLOBAL . Available in: https://joebiden.com/covid19/. Access in: 15 May. 2020.
KPMG. US Income Tax Relief In Response to Coronavirus. Available in: https://home.kpmg/cn/en/home/insights/2020/04/tax-alert-4-hk-us-income-tax-relief-in-response-to-coronavirus.html. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
OFFICE OF REGIONAL OPERATIONS. COVID-19 Resources For State, Local, and Tribal Human Services Leaders. Available in: https://www.acf.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/oro/oro_covid_19_resources_update_1.pdf. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
PEW RESEARCH CENTER. Most Americans Say Trump Was Too Slow in Initial Response to Coronavirus Threat. Available in: https://www.pewresearch.org/politics/2020/04/16/most-americans-say-trump-was-too-slow-in-initial-response-to-coronavirus-threat/. Access in: 22 ago. 2020
PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP ACHIEVEMENTS. Healthcare. Available in: https://www.promiseskept.com/achievement/overview/healthcare/. Access in: 5 May. 2020.
THE NEW YORK TIMES. How the Biden Campaign Aims to Win Battleground States. Available in: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/15/us/politics/joe-biden-campaign-2020.html. Access in: 15 May. 2020.
THE NEW YORK TIMES. Trump’s Remedy for Low Poll Numbers: Reminding People Polls Can Be Wrong. Access in: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/07/22/us/politics/trump-polls-2020.html. Available in: 2 set. 2020.
THE NEW YORK TIMES. Wartime Production Law Has Been Used Routinely, but Not With Coronavirus. Available in: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/03/31/us/politics/coronavirus-defense-production-act.html. Access in: 11 set. 2020.
THE NEW YORK TIMES. We Have Crossed the Line Debt Hawks Warned Us About for Decades. Available in: https://www.nytimes.com/2020/08/21/business/economy/national-debt-coronavirus-stimulus.html. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
THE WASHINGTON POST. How Jennifer O’Malley Dillon transformed Joe Biden’s campaign. Available in: https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-jennifer-omalley-dillon-transformed-joe-bidens-campaign/2020/08/14/d49de192-dbdd-11ea-8051-d5f887d73381_story.html. Access in: 11 set. 2020.
USA TODAY. COVID-19, political fights raise the question: Could the dollar lose its global status? Available in: https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/2020/08/20/dollar-weakening-sparks-worries-stay-worlds-reserve-currency/3396627001/. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
USA TODAY. National Debt: how much could coronavirus cost america. Available in: https://www.usatoday.com/in-depth/news/2020/05/08/national-debt-how-much-could-coronavirus-cost-america/3051559001/ . Access in: 29 May. 2020.
USA TODAY. Our economy is in the COVID valley of death. What will be on the other side, and when? Available in: https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2020/07/30/covid-economy-gdp-record-drop-what-comes-next-predictions-column/5535736002/. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
US SMALL BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION. Paycheck Protection Program. Available in: https://www.sba.gov/funding-programs/loans/coronavirus-relief-options/paycheck-protection-program. Access in: 22 ago. 2020.
WHITEHOUSE. President Donald J. Trump mobilized full resources federal government respond coronavirus. Available in: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-donald-j-trump-mobilized-full-resources-federal-government-respond-coronavirus/ . Access in: 31 May. 2020.
WHITEHOUSE. President Trump’s Historic Coronavirus response. Available in: https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefings-statements/president-trumps-historic-coronavirus-response/. Access in: 11 set. 2020.
