Donald Trump's Florida campaign cancelled after he tested COVID positive; What's next?

The White House dropped a Florida campaign trip from US President Donald Trump's schedule after he tested positive for coronavirus on October 2. Trump announced on Twitter that he and First Lady Melania Trump tested COVID-19 positive and they will go under quarantine and start the recovery process immediately.

The mandatory quarantine is set to disrupt the campaign schedule of POTUS weeks before elections, starting with the cancellation of all engagements on October 2. The US President was supposed to be briefed on intelligence inputs followed by a roundtable with supporters at Trump International Hotel, Washington.

The US President was then scheduled to deliver remarks at a “Make America Great Again” campaign event in Florida, however, all programs remain cancelled. Florida is a crucial swing state which could be decisive in the election of the next US President. The mandatory quarantine could heavily impact the Republican campaign to re-elect Trump as it is the final weeks of US elections scheduled for November 3. 

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 Next presidential debate doubtful

There has been only one presidential debate out of three and the second debate was scheduled to take place on 15 October in Miami, Florida. A change in the debate format was already underway after the chaos that ensued during the last debate in Cleveland. The debate night was known less for important takeaways and more for the chaos as Trump kept interrupting Biden. 

Even if Trump completes mandatory quarantine, it is highly unlikely that he will able to participate in the debate under a new proposed format where candidates were supposed to take questions from voters instead of journalists. During pre-COVID elections, candidates were seated within arms’ distance of voters but now they remain protected behind a podium on stage.

Earlier today, Trump informed that he was awaiting results from a COVID-19 test after one of his close advisors tested positive for the novel Coronavirus. After testing positive for COVID-19, the US President said that he will begin his quarantine and recovery process immediately with his wife. Trump is 74 years old which puts him at higher risk of serious complications from the virus.

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Read: Watch: Trump Mocked Biden For Wearing Mask Days Before Testing COVID Positive