|

Trump's need for adulation outweighs his COVID-19 concerns

Trump is ready to hit the road, Covid-19 or not.

Trump thrives on praise and adulation. He can wait no longer to have his rabid supporters once again cheering at big rallies. 

Please note Trump Says He’s Ready to Hit the Road.

Mr. Trump told reporters at an event with business executives on Wednesday that he plans to travel to Arizona next week and Ohio soon after that. “We’re going to start to move around,” he said, adding that he hopes to start holding campaign rallies again.

The president, who before the pandemic regularly traveled on weekends to his Florida resort, Mar-a-Lago, and held campaign rallies around the country, has made no secret of his eagerness to get back on the road. “I’ve been in the White House now for many months,” he said. "And I’d like to get out—as much as I love this, this is the most beautiful house in the world.’

He said he wanted to see a “good old-fashioned, 25,000-person rally” without social distancing. “I can’t imagine a rally where you have every fourth seat full, every six seats are empty for everyone that you have full,” he said. “That wouldn’t look too good.”

Extremely Difficult Setup for Trump to Win in November

Trump faces a huge uphill battle at this point. It's an Extremely Difficult Setup for Trump to Win in November.

Note that Fox News gives Biden an 8-point lead in Michigan. This is despite (or because) of soaring Michigan unemployment, perhaps as high as 30%.

For details, please see For details, please see Over 25% of Michigan Workforce Filed For Unemployment.

Yet, Despite Massive Unemployment, Michigan Disagrees With Trump.

Governor Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, has a Covid-19 approval rating of 57%. Liberate Michigan, Liberate Minnesota, and Liberate Virginia backfired.

I discussed the above Tweets in Huge Battle Over Covid-19 Tests and Trump's Liberation Tweets.

Words of Caution

It's not impossible for Trump to win in November, but it is difficult. 

These polls are early. November is still 6 months away but the election map, Trump's handing of Covid-19, the recession, and the thought of 4 more years of Trump to swing voters all weigh against Trump.

This is Not 2016

Finally, this is not 2016. Many swing voters gave Trump a nod in in 2016 simply because they despised Hillary.

Many of those same swing voters have had enough of Trump's divisive treatment of allies, his belittling of everyone but himself, and his handling of Covid-19.

Counterproductive Adulation

The amusing thing ais how counterproductive this plan is.

Adoring fans and big rallies will not win Trump the election in November. 

Author

Mike “Mish” Shedlock's

Mike “Mish” Shedlock's

Sitka Pacific Capital Management,Llc

More from Mike “Mish” Shedlock's
Share:

Markets move fast. We move first.

Orange Juice Newsletter brings you expert driven insights - not headlines. Every day on your inbox.

By subscribing you agree to our Terms and conditions.

Editor's Picks

EUR/USD retreats toward 1.1700 on modest USD recovery

EUR/USD stays under mild bearish pressure and trades below 1.1750 on Friday. Although trading conditions remain thin following the New Year holiday and ahead of the weekend, the modest recovery seen in the US Dollar causes the pair to edge lower. The economic calendar will not feature any high-impact data releases.

GBP/USD struggles to gain traction, stabilizes near 1.3450

After testing 1.3400 on the last day of 2025, GBP/USD managed to stage a rebound. Nevertheless, the pair finds it difficult to gather momentum and trades marginally lower on the day at around 1.3450 as market participants remain in holiday mood.

Gold climbs toward $4,400 following deep correction

Gold advances toward $4,400 and gains more than 1.5% on the day after suffering heavy losses amid profit-taking heading into the end of the year. Growing expectations for a dovish Fed policy and persistent geopolitical risks seem to be helping XAU/USD stretch higher.

Cardano gains early New Year momentum, bulls target falling wedge breakout

Cardano kicks off the New Year on a positive note and is extending gains, trading above $0.36 at the time of writing on Friday. Improving on-chain and derivatives data point to growing bullish interest, while the technical outlook keeps an upside breakout in focus.

Economic outlook 2026-2027 in advanced countries: Solidity test

After a year marked by global economic resilience and ending on a note of optimism, 2026 looks promising and could be a year of solid economic performance. In our baseline scenario, we expect most of the supportive factors at work in 2025 to continue to play a role in 2026.

Crypto market outlook for 2026

Year 2025 was volatile, as crypto often is.  Among positive catalysts were favourable regulatory changes in the U.S., rise of Digital Asset Treasuries (DAT), adoption of AI and tokenization of Real-World-Assets (RWA).