Donald Trump: I’m immune from virus, I have a protective glow
Donald Trump declares himself Covid-free ahead of his comeback campaign rally in Florida to kick-off a three week blitz
Donald Trump has declared himself Covid-free ahead of his comeback campaign rally in Florida to kick-off a three week blitz of the country as he tries to claw back the lead of his opponent Joe Biden.
It comes as the Supreme Court becomes a focus of the campaign with Mr Trump’s nominee, Judge Amy Barrett, to face hostile Democrat Senators, including Kamala Harris, in her confirmation hearing beginning on Tuesday (AEDT).
The president declared on Monday (AEDT) he was now free of COVID-19 and would post no risk of infecting anyone else, meaning he could fully resume campaign activities.
“And not only that, it seems like I’m immune. So I can go way out of a basement … So the president is in very good shape to fight the battles,” he said.
“Even yesterday, I knew I was free,” Mr Trump said. “I beat this crazy, horrible China virus. … I passed the highest test, the highest standards.” He added: “The word ‘immunity’ means something; having a protective glow means something. … I’m not on any medication.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 11, 2020
Having recovered quickly from the virus, Mr Trump is now packing his campaign schedule, holding rallies this week in Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa with more likely later in the week.
The president is expected to try to use the expected Democrat attack on the conservative Judge Barrett this week to highlight to his supporters the importance of having another conservative judge on the Supreme Court.
In her prepared opening remarks to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday (AEDT), Ms Barrett will say that she believes the role of the court is to apply the law as written, not create policy.
“A judge must apply the law as written, not as the judge wishes it were. Sometimes that approach meant reaching results that he did not like,” Ms Barrett will say, referring to the approach taken by her mentor, the late Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia.
“The policy decisions and value judgments of government must be made by the political branches elected by and accountable to the people. The public should not expect courts to do so, and courts should not try,” Ms Barrett will say. “Courts are not designed to solve every problem or right every wrong in our public life.”
The judicial philosophy of the 48-year-old mother of seven is consistent with the “originalist” approach taken by conservative members of the Supreme Court which opposes interpreting the constitution through the lens of contemporary policy issues.
Ms Barrett’s opening statement, which talks warmly about her family and her mentors, also includes a generous tribute to the late liberal Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
“I have been nominated to fill Justice Ginsburg’s seat, but no one will ever take her place. I will be forever grateful for the path she marked and the life she led,” she will say.
Democrat Senators, who do not want Ms Barrett to be confirmed before the November 3 election, are expected to question her views on the Affordable Care Act and also on abortion rights. Mr Biden’s running mate Senator Kamala Harris will be among those questioning Ms Barrett.
With just three weeks to go, Mr Trump is hoping that issues like the Supreme Court, the economy and law and order will help him turn the tide against the 77-year-old former vice president.
Polls show Mr Biden leading the president by 9.6 points, a larger lead that the defeated Hillary Clinton had over Mr Trump at this stage four years ago.
The president is also trailing Mr Biden in the key battleground states but by smaller margins. Mr Biden is leading the president by 7.1 points in Pennsylvania, 5.5 points in Wisconsin, 6.7 points in Michigan and 3.7 points in Florida.
Meanwhile negotiations with the White House over a new coronavirus economic stimulus package remain at an impasse after House Democrats opposed the White House’s latest $US1.9 trillion package.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the package provided inadequate funding and no national plan for testing, contact tracing and treatment of the coronavirus.
“This past week, the President demonstrated very clearly that he has not taken the war against the virus seriously, personally or nationally. This attitude is reflected in the grossly inadequate response we finally received from the Administration,” Ms Pelosi said.
Mr Trump said he wanted to stay to strike a deal on the package to help the economic recovery.
“Republicans want to do it. We’re having a hard time with Nancy Pelosi,” he said.
(Cameron Stewart is also US Contributor for Sky News Australia)
More Coverage
Russia, Iran ‘on mission to sow mayhem in Europe’: MI5
MI5 Director General warns Russia and Iran are leaning on criminals to undertake sabotage and attacks on dissidents, while ISIS terror threats are also on the rise
A weakened Iran still has a major deterrent: the nuclear option
With Hezbollah reeling and its missiles failing to do much damage, attention turns to the threat posed by Tehran’s nuclear program. How close is it to a bomb and what can Israel and the US do in response?