Positive Trump

Donald Trump and Melania have tested positive for the Trump virus.

Donald Trump played down the virus. He admitted as such. He floated bogus cures and treatments. He’s called it the “China Virus” and the “Wuhan Virus.” He’s scolded and punished his scientists for doing their jobs. He’s hired lackeys and yes men to direct the response. He politicized it against blue states. He mocked people for wearing masks. He continued to hold rallies during the pandemic. He encouraged states, churches, and schools to open. He asked about curing people with bleach.

Ten days ago, Trump said, “This affects virtually nobody.” I guess the president of the United States is a nobody.

Donald Trump never took it seriously. He’s going to take it seriously now. White House advisor Hope Hicks was the first to test positive so the belief is Donald Trump caught it from her. But it’s possible she caught it from him.

The White House knew on Thursday that Donald Trump was in contact with someone who tested positive. Trump had been at a rally the night before. Even after knowing, he went to a fundraiser in New Jersey. Spokesgoon Kayleigh McEnany was aware of this and still held a briefing without warning reporters. The White House may be a super spreader environment. The White House probably knew for hours Trump had tested positive.

When asked weeks ago about the safety at his rallies, Trump said he’ll be OK because he was a good distance from his cult in attendance. According to reports, he thought the virus was a good thing in that it would keep him from shaking hands with “disgusting people.” Now, everyone who has attended his rallies can take comfort they were kept a good distance away from the disgusting president.

I don’t wish Donald Trump harm. I’m not even going to say he deserved this. Honestly, it shouldn’t surprise anyone he caught it with the way he approached it. He exercised zero caution. Protect America? He couldn’t protect himself. He couldn’t protect his family. Donald Trump testing positive isn’t as much karma as it was inevitable.

What will happen now? There are only a little more than 30 days left before the election. With Trump in quarantine for at least 14 days, he can’t campaign. He may not even be able to do the duties of president. How will we even notice? I expect him to demand a delay to the election (he can’t get one).

Will this pause the confirmation of Amy Coney Barrett? Will Joe Biden pause his campaign out of respect? Will Joe Biden test positive because he caught it from Trump? Will Jared, Ivanka, Stephen Miller, Mitch McConnell, Mark Meadows, and Mike Pence all test positive? Trump was yelling for football to resume. Now, the debates may be canceled.

It’s no longer a hoax. Trump and his sycophants can no longer tout Hydroxychlorquine because Trump was taking it.

Experts say if Donald Trump had taken this more seriously, fewer people in our nation would have caught it. Fewer people would have died. If Donald Trump had taken seriously, Donald Trump may not have the Trump virus today.

That, my friends, is irony.

Now, we can definitely call this the “Trump Virus.”

Creative note: I was watching news all night. I usually do that. I did flip over to the football game after getting my fill of Melania’s “fuck Christmas” tapes. But then the news hit about Hope Hicks. I didn’t know we’d get a result on Trump tonight, and I was going to bed at 1:00 a.m. I had just brushed my teeth, stripped down, was climbing into bed with the remote in my hand, about to turn off the TV and then CNN broke it. I climbed back out and went back to work.

I actually had a cartoon prepped (roughed out, lettered) for the morning. It’s now on the back burner.

The positive of being the first cartoonist to cover this (probably first) is that my clients will have it in their inbox when they wake up. The negative is that I did it so late, nobody was up for me to bounce it off of. My proofers were/are still asleep so I hope there are no typos.

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