Inside Story

Will Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis affect the US election?

Observers of US elections often talk of an “October Surprise” – the unexpected event or revelation that reshapes the campaign in its final days.

But few would have predicted the announcement that came early on Friday: President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania tested positive for COVID-19.

It followed news that Trump’s top aide, Hope Hicks, had tested positive for the virus a day earlier.

Two days earlier, Hicks travelled to Cleveland for the first of the presidential debates along with a large number of senior White House and campaign officials, as well as most of the Trump family.

So, what will this mean for the crucial November 3 elections?

Presenter: Peter Dobbie

Guests:

Claire Finkelstein – professor of law and philosophy at the University of Pennsylvania Law School.

Jason Emert – professor of international law at Lincoln Memorial University and a former Chairman of the Young Republican National Federation.

Natasha Lindstaedt – professor of US government at the University of Essex.