"Seize the initiative": why the US State Department announced its readiness for provocations during Trump's illness

The United States is ready for provocations by opponents during the illness of President Donald Trump.

This was stated by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in response to a journalist's question whether anyone can take advantage of the situation with Trump's coronavirus infection to damage US interests.

“Our team is ready (for

something

like that -

) ... We know that there are forces in the world that are acting maliciously and do not recognize norms.

The United States is fully prepared for this - both the State Department and our diplomats.

I met with (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the US Armed Forces -

) General Millie

today 

.

Everyone is ready for this, ”said Pompeo.

Earlier, Trump was hospitalized with a diagnosis of coronavirus.

The head of the White House himself spoke about the improvement in his condition after he was taken to a military medical hospital.

According to the presidential adviser on national security Robert O'Brien, the White House is not considering the possibility of Trump transferring his powers due to illness.

Doctor Brian Garibaldi during the briefing did not rule out that the US President could be discharged from the hospital on October 5.

According to him, the condition of the American leader continues to improve.

According to political scientist Alexander Asafov, Pompeo's statement is "an attempt to seize the initiative in the field of foreign policy from the Democrats, since Trump himself cannot do this now."

“The disease of the American leader has somewhat changed the agenda and definitely narrowed it down for the head of the White House himself.

Now he comments mainly on his condition, the fight against coronavirus and the election campaign.

Questions related to foreign policy remain unaffected.

Trump cannot cover them right now, as it will look strange, given that he is in isolation.

However, this is an important component of his election campaign, which the White House cannot ignore, ”the expert noted in a commentary on RT.

For this reason, the US Secretary of State is now trying to activate one of Trump's main lines, "since his hands are free," Asafov believes. 

• The White house

• Reuters

• © Ken Cedeno

“Trump and Pompeo are well aware that if not their side points to an external threat, then the Democrats can tackle this topic with renewed zeal.

Therefore, the secretary of state fixes this topic for himself, so that the history of 2016 does not repeat itself, when Hillary Clinton's loss was associated with the "conspiracy" of Trump and Moscow.

By hostile external forces, Pompeo probably means, first of all, China, as the head of the White House himself spoke about earlier, "the analyst said.

New charges

At the same time, experts emphasize that in fact, representatives of the Democratic Party can take advantage of the current situation around Trump's illness rather than external forces, which Pompeo claims.

Opponents of the American president have already begun to accuse him of violating the quarantine regime and allegedly concealing the results of the first test, which showed infection with COVID-19.

In particular, the media replicated the statements of Dr. James Phillips from the hospital where Trump is being treated.

This person is a frequent guest on the air of the CNN television channel, who does not hide his negative attitude towards the American leader.

The doctor criticized Trump's car trip to meet with his supporters, calling it "completely optional."

“The risk of transmission of COVID-19 inside (car. -

) is as high as without medical requirements.

Such irresponsibility is amazing, ”said Phillips.

He also said that all the US Secret Service employees who were in the car with Trump "could get sick" and perhaps even "die."

“For the sake of a political game for the audience.

Trump ordered them to risk their lives for this.

This is crazy, ”the doctor said.

Every single person in the vehicle during that completely unnecessary Presidential “drive-by” just now has to be quarantined for 14 days.

They might get sick.

They may die.

For political theater.

Commanded by Trump to put their lives at risk for theater.

This is insanity.

- Dr.

James P. Phillips, MD (@DrPhillipsMD) October 4, 2020

We will remind, earlier, Trump in his video message announced a visit to supporters, calling it a "little surprise."

After that, footage appeared in the media in which Trump, being in the car, greets his supporters.

The head of state and the people accompanying him were wearing protective masks.

• U.S. President Donald Trump meets with supporters, October 4, 2020

• Reuters

• © Cheriss May

The White House assured that “proper precautions were taken on this trip to protect the president and accompanying personnel, including the use of” personal protective equipment.

“The medical team agreed this trip was safe,” White House spokesman Judd Deere told reporters.

On Monday it became known that the press secretary of the President of the United States, Kaylee McEnani, was diagnosed with the coronavirus.

The American media, citing their sources, also reported that the virus was detected in two of Mackinani's assistants.

However, this is not the only thing that the head of the White House is accused of against the background of his illness.

Thus, The Wall Street Journal, citing "knowledgeable sources", reported that Donald Trump allegedly did not announce a positive result of his first rapid test for coronavirus, awaiting the results of a second more thorough screening for COVID-19, which also turned out to be positive.

Earlier, the leader of the Democratic minority in the US Senate, Chuck Schumer, did not fail to criticize the actions of the presidential administration in the fight against COVID-19 in the same statement in which he wished the head of the White House and his wife Melania Trump to recover.  

“Although they didn’t do that before, now the (Trump -

)

administration

must take a scientific approach and follow all recommended medical protocols so as not to put more people at risk.

And they must act completely transparently, ”he said.

"Will gain momentum"

As noted by Konstantin Blokhin, a researcher at the Center for Security Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the latest critical reports in the media about Trump's behavior during his quarantine are the first signs that "the media campaign against the American leader will only gain momentum."  

“The pace with which the head of the White House will receive accusations from the pages of the American press and television screens will increase.

It is also worth remembering that the media in the United States are not independent and act as a tool to achieve political goals, including the Democrats, to discredit Trump, "the analyst explained in an interview with RT.

• The White house

• © Leah Millis / Reuters

Andrei Sidorov, head of the Department of International Organizations and World Political Processes at the Faculty of World Politics at Moscow State University, predicted that against the background of Trump's illness, "members of the Democratic Party may increase their activity."

“It will be difficult for them to do this with an inert candidate like Biden, but other Democrats are on the alert.

This can be seen even in the way with which they gloatedly reacted to Trump's message that he was sick with COVID-19.

Surely they will continue to accuse the president with renewed vigor of disregarding the fight against coronavirus, ”he said in a conversation with RT.

Despite the fact that Biden will try to distance himself from criticism of the president, “the media and his 'party comrades' will do all the work for him,” Blokhin said.

At the same time, other Democrats will continue to say that Trump himself neglected his own safety, ignored the coronavirus, and was skeptical of him, Blokhin said.

“Voices will be heard everywhere that Trump not only led the United States into the coronavirus crisis, but he himself fell into this trap,” the expert said.

The White House will stick to its previous course of repelling attacks on the incumbent president, Blokhin said.

“It is worth noting that the barrage of criticism will still not reach the level when the Democrats sought to impeach Trump.

The American leader withstood then and will be able to cope with criticism against him now, ”the analyst noted.

"The situation does not look critical"

As noted by Konstantin Blokhin, the lack of the opportunity to take an active part in the election race for at least two weeks "to a certain extent can reduce Trump's chances of winning, but the situation in any case does not look critical."

"If Trump could personally participate in the debate with Biden, which would be devoted to foreign policy, he would criticize the former vice president, point out the mistakes of the past administration," the analyst said.

In turn, the head of the Center for Political-Military Studies of the Institute of the USA and Canada, Russian Academy of Sciences, Vladimir Batyuk, explained in a commentary to RT that the same Pompeo's appeal to foreign policy threats in connection with Donald Trump's illness "looks like an attempt to blame the blunders of the current authorities on someone else." ...

“Recently, there has been a trend in the United States when many of the country's problems are being explained by intrigues of external forces, instead of solving them on their own,” the expert emphasized.

Returning to the topic of Trump's restrictions during the isolation, Blokhin noted that the head of the White House will also not be able to compete for vacillating states through face-to-face meetings with voters.

• Supporters of the US President, October 4, 2020

• Reuters

• © Cheriss May

“This can be used by the Democrats and will certainly do so in the near future,” he said.

However, it is too early to write off Trump, Blokhin is sure.

“This is not a disaster for the US presidential campaign.

A full-fledged struggle will continue after Trump comes out of quarantine, and the chances of this are extremely high, since doctors from all over America are better concentrated around him, who are already building quite positive forecasts regarding the recovery of the head of the White House, "he said.

At the same time, Trump's nuclear electorate "will not abandon him at a difficult moment for the American leader," Blokhin emphasized.

“For his supporters, he is a hero and America's last chance to be great.

This circle of voters will not turn away from Trump, "the analyst predicted.