Following President Donald Trump's COVID-19 diagnosis announcement on Friday, Palo Alto High School students discuss their reactions and thoughts on its potential impacts on the 2020 presidential election.
Keira Chiu, junior
"I was shocked, yet I was wondering how it hadn't happened sooner, with his habits of venturing out without a mask. I think it would give Biden an advantage because it's an opportunity to show that he would handle the virus differently from Trump. With a couple weeks until the election, Trump will not be able to campaign to the fullest extent."
Photo by Sophie Shand
Medha Atla, senior
"He downplayed the virus and now he's contracted it himself. I think his campaign might take big hit without him being able to hold rallies. However, if he recovers quickly and fully, that might benefit him since he can say that he was right about COVID-19 all along. We'll have to see how it progresses in the coming weeks."
Photo by Madrono 2018
Siddhant Amberkar, junior
"I think that if he recovers then he will leverage that to say that all the lockdowns were just the 'radical left' trying to stunt the economy. However, if it turns more serious, voters should realize that he is a prime example of why we put in place such harsh regulations to prevent spread."
Photo by Sofie Zalatimo
Bella Daly, sophomore
"Up until recently, Trump never wore a mask and was around so many different people. Unless something happens to him, I’m not too sure if it will directly affect the election, but [it] may cause people to take the virus more seriously and realize it has not gone away."
Photo by Rowan Erickson
Ian Aguilar-Hwang, freshman
"I believe that this will impact the election in many ways. For example, in the case that President Trump recovers from COVID-19, he may sustain his point of view that COVID-19 is nothing but a hoax, saying things like, 'the coronavirus was not that bad.' In the event that President Trump passes away, which is very unlikely given the circumstances of right now, Mike Pence will take over the republican nomination. This will greatly affect the election because some people may like President Trump, but not approve of Mike Pence, and vice versa."