As Americans awoke on Friday to the news that President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump had contracted COVID-19, responses to the developments have been flooding social media.
Trump made the announcement on Twitter at around 1 a.m. ET on Friday, insisting that "we will get through this TOGETHER!"
Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 2, 2020
Melania Trump added that the couple were "feeling good".
While world leaders sent their wishes for a speedy recovery to the US president and his spouse, netizens also weighed in.
Canadian blogger Mikhaila Peterson, whose father Jordan Peterson is a University of Toronto psychologist turned YouTube star and best-selling author, went on Instagram to voice her reaction to the news that the US president and his wife had contracted COVID-19, mulling several likely outcomes and asking netizens to weigh in on them.
Her first was that Donald Trump would recover, like most others, including her own family.
Another forecast was that Trump would go on to win the election in November, because people "want the country to open up".
My guess @realDonaldTrump will be fine and reopen the country after winning. Canada will follow suit 6 weeks later. Brought to you by me - a few blantons deep. pic.twitter.com/23dJ1JmYTx
— Mikhaila Peterson (@MikhailaAleksis) October 2, 2020
Peterson also suggested that after the US reopened, Canada would follow suit.
Followers on social media rose to the challenge and responded to the blogger's guesses, with some believing she was "spot on" with her predictions, and mentioning that Trump had been taking anti-malarial drug hydroxychloroquine, which he had long touted as a treatment for the disease.
Others on social media wished the US president a speedy recovery, and yet wondered how he could have been exposed.
I wish him well. How could the most powerful man in the free world get exposed?
— Caveman1975 (@Caveman_1975) October 2, 2020
It's a VIRUS. The entire point of this was don't overrun hospitals and get herd immunity. You can't protect yourself from a virus. Particularly if you're a president. He's a social dude.
— Mikhaila Peterson (@MikhailaAleksis) October 2, 2020
Many Twitter users agreed that Trump would both recover and triumph in the November election.
I feel he will be fine, I don't think he will open the country. Perhaps he may try a different approach to do so.
— Alessio (@SPAC3_JUNK) October 2, 2020
Wishing you and your family well, not a day goes by where I don't think about you guys! 💕
yeah he will recover hopefully but I don't think he will win. 2021 will be worst with a demented man/far left socialists leading the strongest country on the planet.
— Abdullah M. Saddon (@XpharmamanX) October 2, 2020
I'm sure he probably will be fine. Idk if he'll win again, but we'll see. If he does, I think there will be more rioting and tensions will get worse. I'm not rooting for either of these dusty old men when it seems like we have a much better choice @Jorgensen4POTUS
— tim (@tim_oyler) October 2, 2020
Others took issue with Mikhaila Peterson's words "thank goodness someone in power finally got this", reminding her of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson.
Are you forgetting that Boris Johnson got it and recovered..?
— Antiseptic Handwash (@gratuitoushygie) October 2, 2020
Did you forget that Boris Johnson nearly died from it?
— David Rives (@Davehbdter) October 2, 2020
We'll see. Boris Johnson got the virus a good few months ago and his approach has been dreadful.
— Aidan Moore (@Aidan_Moore98) October 2, 2020
Don't know, Boris Johnson got it ages ago and all over the UK we still have lots of local lockdowns.
— Richard Hitchin (@ChardHitchin) October 2, 2020
I agree that Canada will just follow what happens in the US though.
I'm sure he and the first lady will recover nicely. I don't anticipate any lock downs, but businesses and such will request we ware mask here in the States.
— RW 🇺🇸 (@BuzWeaver) October 2, 2020
