Coronavirus has impacted and shaped the 2020 US election agenda like nothing else in the history of the nation. First off, it was the mismanagement of the pandemic that posed a challenge to the entire nation and now it’s the contrast of opinions on the development of vaccines that is causing Americans to be confounded.
Trump is on the fast-track of getting Americans the coronavirus vaccine before most nations. So much so, that he has promised that one may be available towards the end of next month - before the election.
The announcement has spurred up of contradictory claims, fears, and even reports that it’s Trump’s way of expanding his vote bank.
Besides health organizations, Democrats are leading the campaign to prove Trump wrong.
Joe Biden has accused Trump of the mismanagement of the pandemic and putting the lives of millions of Americans at risk. The Democratic presidential nominee claims that Trump had a loose grip on the system to contain the virus saying that Trump didn’t keep a check at the exponential rise in the number of cases every day, restrictions were not solid enough, and the whole situation was miscued.
As Trump announced the availability of vaccine in record time, Biden’s running mate, the Dems vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris insisted that she would never trust a vaccine that’s made available before the election date.
The accusations and questions about the vaccine, as expected, infuriated Trump and he didn’t hold back to express it. For anti-vaccine rhetoric, Trump has demanded an apology from Biden. Trump also said that Biden is “stupid.”
At the US Labor Day news conference in the White House, Trump talked about Biden’s attitude towards the development of vaccines and it’s dissemination among people.
The President bluntly said that Biden and his running mate Kamala Harris are not competent in his view – the duo would dismantle the country and the economy equally.
He further added that they should immediately be apologetic for all that they are saying – vaccine before the election “undermines science.”
Is this the political pressure that may result in the deployment of the vaccine before it is ready and safe to be? Well, Russia has made it and its vaccine is showing positive results - having created antibodies. The big fear, however, is that the vaccine didn't go through the crucial human trial stage.
However, in the US the situation is a bit different due to the closeness to the election date.