Let's turn back the time to 2016. When the worries were of nuclear missiles in North Korea, of terrorists in the Middle East. When Brexit had just begun, when Presidents in Brazil and South Korea were impeached. But biggest of all, when Trump - at the time a reality TV star and businessman - was first elected. Never would I have guessed that just 4 years in the future, as the next US election is just around the corner, we would be looking at our friends through our phone screens, that over 200,000 Americans would have lost their lives. But how would this crisis affect Wednesday's result? A result that has the potential to change the course of history, to go down in the books?
One thing that coronavirus has done to America is perplex it - during this time, facts have become the most heavily disputed thing. How many theories have been put out, how many times has the virus been called a hoax? No one seems to be able to come to the same conclusion, due to the confusion. This lack of clarity affects the election - when no one has the complete story, how do the candidates expect people to make an informed decision? Throughout the pandemic, Trump and Biden have constantly battled each other, calling each other out for lying time and time again, with the result being thousands of disoriented voters.
COVID-19 has also highlighted some of the candidates' weaknesses. Even if you were not following the US election, you would have seen some of Trump's tweets. The instability has illuminated President Trump's lack of knowledge - one look at his social media would tell you that. Earlier on, it was bleach and further back, impeachment. Now, it is not taking COVID seriously and failing to support the smaller companies and the working classes. These things definitely will have an impact on the election, if not be the difference between Trump winning and losing.
Looking at Joe Biden, at the start of the pandemic, no one knew that an old man who has grandchildren would ever lead the polls. At the start of the pandemic, Biden seemed extremely, almost dangerously, fragile. Lockdown gave Biden the cover to campaign from the safety of his home, and afterwards, he became more confident - and more and more likeable. It seemed, for a time, that as Trump became weaker and weaker, Biden became stronger. Even when Trump had coronavirus symptoms, Biden could have used the time to gain an even stronger lead but he took down all the negative ads about Trump and the Republicans and wished him well.
Equally, Trump, despite all the negative publicity, has done some good for America and the world. He reformed the tax system, the judicial system, the prison system and put an end to ISIS. Across his first term, there have been good, even great, things scattered between the things that make him infamous. The economical growth of the US in the first 3 years of his term was similar to that of Obama's last 3 years, so he has continued to ensure that America's economy grows.
Out of everything, though, the biggest thing that will affect the election next week is the fact that Trump contracted COVID-19. For Trump supporters, it generated support and sympathy, but for people who are against Trump, it only served to prove their beliefs that Trump is a liar and will do anything to gain an advantage. In my opinion, the deciding factor will be what people interpret from his dramatic return to the White House. Is Trump just an actor, pretending to be a President and satisfying his desire to be looked at? I don't think so. I think that Trump may have been exaggerating to raise some sympathy but I do not think that he was faking having COVID-19.
Hopefully, before the all-important vote on Wednesday, the people of America can get all of the information and make an informed decision about who to vote for. Don't believe what you read or see - everyone has a bias, even me. If you are interested in knowing more about a subject, read about it from multiple sources. Getting a clear picture is more important now than ever, at this key tipping point in history.
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