Supporters mirror Trump's rosy projection of virus infection

As an infected President Donald Trump urged Americans never to fear the virus that has killed a lot more than 1 million people worldwide, a lot of his supporters were already in sync with that message.

In interviews with Republican voters at Trump events and campaign offices, hardly any saw the president's illness as a cautionary tale. None said they might change their personal approach to masks or distancing, and several expressed a confidence that the condition was less dangerous than advertised.

In Ohio, a “Women for Trump” group gathered indoors - many maskless rather than distanced - to pray for the president’s recovery. In Nevada, a Reno businessman dismissed the threat of the pandemic as “overplayed.” Nearby, another Trump backer shrugged off any second thoughts about having cheered at a Trump campaign event the other day within a maskless crowd.

“I think almost all of us have reached the realization that, at some time, we’re probably going catch it, and also have to handle it anyway,” Ken Gray, a county commissioner from Dayton, Nevada, shortly before the president returned to the White House after three days of treatment for COVID-19 at Walter Reed National Military INFIRMARY.

Trump's “you shouldn't be afraid” takeaway is infuriating public health experts - who note that basic prevention measures do work support the spread of the deadly virus. It is also angering family members of these who have died. But for a lot of Trump's supporters, the president was merely adopting an attitude they expect, and they themselves reflect, in terms of the pandemic.

They view Trump's infection as almost inevitable. Some were amazed he'd managed to get this far before getting sick.

“It’s October and he’s at the moment setting it up,” said 18-year-old Taylor Adams, a first-time voter, at the women's meeting in Ohio. Adams even commended the president for not contracting the condition sooner. "I think that he’s bound to pull through. But I’m not surprised that he did obtain it eventually.”

The comments were a testament to the energy of Trump’s messaging, widely viewed as misleading by public health experts. Throughout the pandemic, the president’s public portrayal of the virus has been rosier than reality. He's routinely brushed off the severity of the outbreak and dismissed professional advice on mask wearing and social distancing. On Tuesday, he compared the virus to the seasonal flu, suggesting it had been something that ought to be “learned to live with.”

Actually, COVID-19 has proven to be a more potent killer compared to the flu, particularly among the elderly, and has shown indications of experiencing long-term impacts on the fitness of younger persons it infects.

Trump acknowledged to journalist Bob Woodward that he “wished to always play it down” because he didn't want to cause panic. Among many supporters, that seems to have worked. Trump voters interviewed this week were almost blase about their president's health scare, describing it as an unavoidable part of his work and travel schedule.

“I don’t think it is surprising. The president has spent a lot of the year around the country, with supporters, campaigning for another four years,” said Ohio resident Brenda Parsons, 58.

As women supporting Trump gathered at an workplace in Canton, a battleground area in the state's northeast, few wore masks.

They sat closer than the recommended six feet apart. They posed for images with a life-size cutout of the president and a huge mural of a novelty helmet wearing a “Make America Great Again” hat, and chanted “four more years!"

They prayed for the president and First Lady Melania Trump, who contracted the condition along with others in the White House.

“I pray and know the president’s positive mindset combined with his faith in Jesus is exactly what will help him pull through this," Parsons said.

It's unclear accurately how Trump got infected. He has traveled steadily for weeks for his reelection campaign, sometimes holding events indoors, where authorities say the virus is more likely to spread. The White House required testing for anyone in close proximity to the president, but masks and social distancing practices were lax. Even now, masks at the White House certainly are a matter of “personal choice” aside from National Security Council staffers, who are required to wear them.

Trump's supporters don't view these practices as irresponsible and were largely quick to dismiss the amount of risk involved.

Kathy Burke, a Reno retiree who dropped by her local Trump campaign office Monday afternoon to get more campaign signs, was wearing a Trump nose and mouth mask, a precaution she said she already took before Trump's diagnosis. She too saw the president's infection as inevitable.

“Anybody could easily get it. I could obtain it,” Burke said.

Rick Zirpolo, a Reno businessman who eschewed a mask outside, said he had no qualms with the way Trump has portrayed or confronted the deadly threat.

“From day one, I’ve thought the complete virus has been overplayed and used as a political tool,” he said.

Zirpolo praised the president for briefly leaving the hospital over the weekend for a drive-by to wave to supporters, despite his infection. And he said Trump was to leave the hospital Monday to come back to the White House.

“I believe it’s outstanding because it shows his commitment to the country,” he said.

In the united states, in Newberry, SC, Scott Gardner, a teacher and coach, felt differently. He didn't blame the president for having contracted COVID-19, given its pervasive nature and simple transmission.

However the 50-year-old who supported Trump in 2016 and planned to again this season, hoped the president would change his behavior. The experience should serve as a “wakeup call” to hire more social distancing and masking, especially in a crowd.

“I guess it ought to be an eye opener,” said Gardner. “But if you’re going to get out of your basement, you’re likely to catch it."