trump: the cost of risky behaviour

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the u.s. president and his advisors engaged in activities that experts have called high risk.

by monika warzecha

published oct 03, 2020

last updated feb 24, 2025

4 minute read

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4 minute read

join the conversation

u.s. president donald trump waves to reporters as he departs with first lady melania trump for campaign travel to participate in his first presidential debate with democratic presidential nominee joe biden in cleveland, ohio from the south lawn at the white house in washington, u.s., september 29, 2020. president trump recently announced that he and the first lady have both tested positive for the coronavirus disease (covid-19). picture taken september 29, 2020. reuters/leah millis

the bombshell news that u.s president donald trump and first lady melania trump tested positive for covid-19 shocked the world in the early hours of friday morning. this, not long after his close advisor, hope hicks, came down with the highly infectious disease.

though the spread of the virus has been uneven, hitting lower-income and racialized communities the hardest, there are certain activities that put individuals at higher risk of exposure. trump’s news is a sober reminder that covid-19 can infect anyone, no matter their level of power.

here’s a look at some of the activities that health and government agencies have warned against during the pandemic — and those the trump administration did anyway.

going out in public often

the u.s. centers for disease control suggests individuals who decide to engage in public activities should take preventative actions. these have all become familiar over the last six months: washing your hands often, avoiding touching your face, maintaining physical distance with other people, and covering your nose and mouth with a face mask when in close proximity to others — especially indoors and when it’s hard to maintain six feet of distance.

the cdc breaks up the risk factors into three main categories: the amount of people you interact with, whether it’s possible to keep six feet of space between yourself and others, and the length of time you spend with them.

u.s. president donald trump wears a protective face mask during a tour of the fujifilm diosynth biotechnologies’ innovation center, a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant where components for a potential coronavirus disease (covid-19) vaccine candidate are being developed, in morrisville, north carolina, u.s., july 27, 2020. picture taken july 27, 2020. reuters/carlos barria org

it cautions that the more people you interact with, the more it raises your risk, especially in indoor spaces — which often have poorer ventilation. “spending more time with people who may be infected increases your risk of becoming infected,” it notes.

trump has largely continued his presidency with a business-as-usual style, travelling across the country, meeting with aides and other leaders. he has only been seen wearing a mask on a handful of occasions. his close aides have also been known to shun masks, though the first lady was photographed arriving at the recent presidential debate with her nose and mouth covered.

large gatherings

in canada’s guide to going out safely during the pandemic, it warns individuals to avoid closed spaces, crowded places and close contact with other people. a number of its “high risk” activities involve large groups of people clustered inside: large religious/cultural gatherings; watching sporting events in arenas and stadium; conferences; music concerts or places where people are singing or shouting; and indoor parties.

u.s. president donald trump arrives at a campaign rally at the bok center, june 20, 2020 in tulsa, oklahoma. trump is holding his first political rally since the start of the coronavirus pandemic at the bok center today while infection rates in the state of oklahoma continue to rise. win mcnamee/getty images

similarly, the texas medical association’s covid-19 risk chart classifies big group events as high risk: attending a large music concert; going to a sports stadium; or attending a religious service with 500-plus worshippers. though it doesn’t explicity site political rallies, it’s clear that indoor events with a mass of people are considered high risk.

trump chose not to cancel his larger rallies, such as the indoor events in tulsa, oklahoma and tucson, arizona, where some of his speeches have been clocked at more than an hour in length. there were also plans to hold a mass gathering in the battleground state of wisconsin this month.

travel

hope hicks, an advisor to u.s. president donald trump walks to air force one to depart washington with the president and other staff on campaign travel to minnesota from joint base andrews, maryland, u.s., september 30, 2020. reuters/leah millis

the cdc says travel increases your chance of getting and spreading covid-19 and has often recommended people stay home during the pandemic. it cautions that “airports, bus stations, train stations, and rest stops are all places travellers can be exposed to the virus in the air and on surfaces. these are also places where it can be hard to social distance. in general, the longer you are around a person with covid-19, the more likely you are to get infected.”

other agencies, such as the texas medical association have classified travelling by plane as a “moderate-high risk,” ranking it similarly to other activities such as hugging or shaking hands with a friend or eating inside a restaurant.

the trump campaign has continued to travel across the country amid the pandemic, flying to the u.s. presidential debate in cleveland, ohio before heading to duluth, minnesota for a rally in a airport hangar the next day. hicks was reportedly aboard airforce one with the president.

since the first few cases of covid-19 appeared in the united states, the president has been largely optimistic that the virus would go away on its own. in the presidential debate on tuesday, he chided democratic presidential nominee joe biden for frequently wearing a mask.

“every time you see him, he’s got a mask. he could be speaking 200 feet away from them, and he shows up with the biggest mask i’ve ever seen.”

still, despite the president’s attitudes toward covid-19, and the ways to prevent infection, having the virus is not to be taken lightly, and this is yet another reminder of why it’s important to follow guidelines around prevention.

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