Speaking to reporters at the White House, US President Donald Trump said that a sharp increase in mortality from coronavirus is expected in the country next week. According to the American leader, "there will be many dead."

“Probably this or next week will be the hardest ... Unfortunately, there will be many dead. However, much less than if we didn’t, ”Trump said, referring to the authorities taking measures to counter the spread of coronavirus.

System Failure

The United States is the world leader in COVID-19 infections. In the country more than 300 thousand patients (about a quarter of the total), more than 8 thousand people died. At the same time, according to the forecasts of the US authorities, the peak of the pandemic has not yet been passed.

In recent weeks, the most difficult situation has developed in New York State, where more than 3,500 people have died. On April 4, to combat COVID-19, the US president announced a decision to send several thousand military doctors to several states to help combat COVID-19.

  • New York City Doctors
  • Reuters
  • © Brendan Mcdermid

Trump does not exclude that the number of deaths due to rampant coronavirus in the United States can reach 100-200 thousand. Moreover, such an indicator, he said, will be the result of "good" work of the authorities.

In turn, specialists in the coordination group to fight infection during the presidential administration make more pessimistic forecasts. According to them, mortality in the United States can reach 240 thousand people, and if citizens neglect precautions, from 2.2 million people will die from COVID-19.

Despite frightening forecasts, Trump is not going to introduce a quarantine regime in the country, limiting herself to “tough recommendations on movements that will be controlled by governors in consultation with the federal authorities.”

In connection with the spread of COVID-19, restrictions are now in force in the United States similar to those introduced in Russia. In particular, crowded places (restaurants, cinemas, gyms, etc.) are closed in the country, Americans are recommended to maintain social distance, and people at risk should not leave their homes.

Trump originally planned to remove the sanitary restrictions on April 12, but on March 29 decided to extend them until April 30. Reluctance to introduce quarantine in the country and the desire to cancel restrictive measures as soon as possible Trump explains the negative economic consequences that they entail.

According to statistics from the US Department of Labor, in the second half of March the number of applications for unemployment benefits increased to 6.6 million. The number of jobs in the country as a result of the pandemic, it was estimated by the department, decreased by 701 thousand.

In order to mitigate the negative consequences of rampant infection, at the end of March, Trump signed a law on financial support for the US economy in the amount of $ 2 trillion. This money will go to the payment of benefits to citizens, assistance to regions, small businesses and other sectors of the economy.

The US President is convinced that Americans need to “get back to work” and “open a country” as soon as possible, although doctors are urging citizens not to leave their homes if possible.

“Trump has always been more concerned with economic issues, rather than the health situation. He understands that the current restrictive measures are pulling the US economy down, and quarantine will only aggravate the already inevitable crisis, ”Vladimir Vasiliev, chief researcher at the US and Canada Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, commented on RT.

At the same time, the head of the White House expects that the situation with coronavirus will not affect the holding of presidential elections in the country, which are scheduled for November 3 of this year. According to Trump, the vote should take place, even if the United States engulfs the second wave of the epidemic.

  • Manhattan Floating Hospital
  • © Mike Segar / Reuters

In an interview with RT, President of the American University in Moscow Eduard Lozansky noted that Trump, like any other world leader, cares about his political future. In addition, Democrats continue to put pressure on the head of the White House, accusing them of ineffective measures to combat the epidemic.

“All efforts of Democrats and Republicans should be aimed at eliminating the threat of coronavirus. However, the political struggle in the United States continues. Trump intends to win the election, and the Democrats are busy opposing him, ”said Lausansky.

In turn, Vladimir Vasiliev called the current situation in the United States "the result of a deep crisis in the American political system."

According to the analyst, American society was the victim of an epidemic due to the inaction of the elites, conflicting among themselves for more than three years of Trump's presidency.

“The problem is that from the very beginning of the work, the Trump administration was faced with enormous opposition from the Democrats. Against the backdrop of these political battles, a number of major problems have left the agenda. As a result, we are seeing retribution for a complete neglect of the priorities of the country's socio-economic development. This is a systemic failure of the American political system and the failure of its elites, ”emphasized Vasiliev.

“Democrats still have a lot of time”

At the same time, Trump's rating at the moment remains stably high and has even grown somewhat compared to the beginning of the year, when the United States has not yet suffered from a pandemic. So, according to Reuters and the research company Ipsos, the activities of the President of the United States at the end of March were approved by 46% of respondents, in early February this figure was 42%.

A survey by the Center for American Political Studies at Harvard University and The Harris Poll (Harvard-Harris) company indicates that Trump was supported by 48% of citizens at the end of March (against 46% two months ago). Approximately the same numbers are also mentioned by other organizations engaged in sociological research in the USA.

According to Lozansky, despite the serious situation with the spread of COVID-19, Trump maintains a high chance of re-election. Against the background of the epidemic that hit the United States, the media has increased the number of references to the president in the context of measures taken to combat coronavirus.

“In the run-up to the election, Trump lost his trump cards related to economic growth and the fight against unemployment. These were the main achievements of his presidency. However, now he is investing huge amounts of money in support of the economy and citizens who are in a difficult situation, ”said Lozansky.

The analyst believes that the absence of a competitive candidate from the Democrats can also play in favor of Trump. Currently, potential nominees from the camp of opponents of the head of the White House are Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders. However, Lausanne does not exclude that the Democrats will opt for the governor of New York, Andrew Cuomo, whose popularity has increased significantly against the background of his measures to combat the epidemic.

“So far, Cuomo has been refusing to run for president. However, the Democrats still have a lot of time. In August, a congress of the Democratic Party is planned, according to the results of which a candidate should be determined. It is possible that Cuomo will be persuaded and he will agree to take part in the race. In my opinion, he can make a strong competition to Trump, ”argues Lozansky.

In turn, Vladimir Vasiliev believes that today in American society there is a demand for a candidate with a reputation as an anti-crisis manager who is able to take decisive measures to combat the epidemic and the impending economic downturn. From the expert’s point of view, the current potential Democratic nominees cannot claim this role.

“Trump made many mistakes, for example, neglected health issues. But if the president and his team manage to smooth over the consequences of the nightmare that is happening now and act as the savior of America, then he can count on victory. Biden and Sanders will definitely not cope with this task. In Trump’s favor, the idea of ​​people that in a period of deep crisis it’s better not to change the power may work, ”Vasiliev summed up.