A new poll released late this week revealed that a large percentage of Democrat voters are “happy” or “excited” over the news that President Donald Trump has been infected with the coronavirus, which originated in China.
“General shock and concern over the commander in chief’s positive diagnosis were the most dominant voter emotions, according to the new poll: 2 in 5 said the word ‘surprised’ described them ‘very’ or ‘somewhat’ well, while a similar share said the same of the word ‘worried,'” Morning Consult reported. “The emotion with the largest partisan gap was sadness. While 55 percent of Republican voters said the emotion described how they’re feeling today, 24 percent of Democratic voters said the same.”
The poll found that a stunning 40 percent of Democrats reported feeling “happy” over the news, while 31 percent reported feeling “excited.”
The poll also found that a disturbing 61 percent of Democrats were either “not too concerned” or “not concerned at all” about “Trump’s well-being,” and that 56 percent of Democrats were either “not too concerned” or “not concerned at all” about “Melania’s well-being.”
The poll found that nearly half (49 percent) of all voters said that they were more worried about the economy following the news of the president’s diagnosis.
“Voters are 11 points more likely than not to say Democratic nominee Joe Biden should step back from the campaign trail, but more than 2 in 5 say future debates should go on as planned,” the poll found. “Forty-seven percent of voters, including nearly identical shares of Democrats and Republicans, said Biden should cancel or delay in-person campaign events if Trump decides to do so.”
The president and the White House announced on Thursday night that the president had tested positive for the coronavirus.
“This evening I received confirmation that both President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump have tested positive for the SARS-CoV-2 virus,” White House physician Dr. Sean Conley said in a statement. “The President and First Lady are both well at this time, and they plan to remain at home within the White House during their convalescence.”
“The White House medical team and I will maintain a vigilant watch, and I appreciate the support provided by some of our country’s greatest medical professions and institutions,” the statement continued. “Rest assured I expect the President to continue carrying out his duties without disruption while recovering, and I will keep you updated on any future developments.”
Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said in a statement on Friday afternoon that Trump was being transported to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center for a few days out of an abundance of caution.
“Following PCR-confirmation of the President’s diagnosis, as a precautionary measure he received a single 8 gram dose of Regeneron’s polyclonal antibody cocktail,” Sean Conley said in separate statement. “He completed the infusion without incident. In addition to the polyclonal antibodies, the President has been taking zinc, vitamin D, famotidine, melatonin and a daily aspirin.”
“As of this afternoon the President remains fatigued but in good spirits,” the statement continued. “He’s being evaluated by a team of experts, and together we’ll be making recommendations to the President and First Lady in regards to next best steps.”
This article has been updated to include additional information.