Meanwhile, over at NiemanLAB, an interesting analysis of these three “enemies” of the USA and their take on the election campaigns and the presidential prospects compared to 2016. Interesting times we live in?
“Intransigence” and “ignorance”
Sometimes, last-minute surprises upend the final month of the U.S. presidential race. This year was no exception, with Trump’s Oct. 2 announcement of his Covid-19 diagnosis quickly shifting media coverage from the debate to Trump’s health.
He received little sympathy from foreign outlets. Across the board, they were quick to note how his personal disregard for public health safety measures symbolized his administration’s failed response to the pandemic.
For example, one Chinese media outlet, The Beijing News, characterized the diagnosis as “hitting” the president “in the face,” given his previous downplaying of the epidemic. Other reports claimed Trump lacked “care about the epidemic,” including disregard for “protective measures such as wearing a mask.”
…But even the country’s supposed adversaries seem to be craving a return to stability and predictability from the Oval Office.