EDEN PRAIRIE, Minn — President Trump’s jarring announcement that he and first lady Melania Trump contracted the coronavirus isn’t winning him a ton of sympathy from voters in this key Minneapolis suburb.
“It is an auspicious occasion, but he doesn’t believe fat meat is greasy,” Leverett Convington said. “In other words, he doesn’t believe that wearing a mask and social distancing will prevent him from catching this disease.”
“So like a little kid, he put his hand in the fire, and gets burned,” the 77-year-old Army veteran said. “That’s what happened to him.”
Voters across the country woke up to the news that Mr. Trump had announced he and the first lady had tested positive for the coronavirus.
The diagnosis is expected to upend the final weeks of the presidential campaign.
It is certain to make it harder for Mr. Trump and the GOP to try to steer the national conversation away from his handling of the coronavirus and the grim headlines related to COVID-19.
Mr. Trump has been pushing a law-and-order message here in Minnesota, which he’s trying to be the first Republican to win since 1972.
Dorothy Deegan said Mr. Trump has himself to blame after downplaying the threat.
“He kind of asked for it — invited it,” the masked 81-year-old said. Ms. Deegan, a retired nurse, said she and others have been taking the virus much more seriously than the president.
Robert Brown said he hopes the diagnosis will convince the conspiracy theorists to “believe this is not a hoax — this is for real.”
“Hopefully, the people that go to his rally will see that they need to start wearing masks because this is serious, very serious,” the retired bus driver said.
• Seth McLaughlin can be reached at smclaughlin@washingtontimes.com.
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