There was a school of thought Donald Trump He may feel humiliated by being infected with the Coronavirus, see the light and encourage Americans to stay safe. This continued as long as the hope was that he would “transfer” to a traditional presidency after his inauguration.

Instead, Trump has sought to project an image of the tough guy. Fly to the White House By helicopter at sunset, standing on the balcony and taking off his face mask while still contagious, bragging that he was feeling better than he was 20 years ago and urging the public not to fear the virus or let it take control of their lives.

His campaign sent out fundraising emails calling for a similar message if I could get over it, hoping to turn a personal and political disaster in their electoral favor against the cautious. Joe Biden. It’s a brand-related affair for a president who sees disease as a weakness and strives every day to make himself the hero of his reality TV show.

Gwenda Blair, Trump’s biographer, said: “Now he will be an ‘expert’: He has owned it so that no one can tell him anything. If he had paused for a second to get any medical advice before, it’s over. He knows more about wars than the generals. He will now know more about the Coronavirus than any doctor. “