By Miya Tanaka,
With U.S. President Donald Trump infected with the novel coronavirus in the final stretch of his re-election campaign, Americans will decide next month if he will get another four years to revive the virus-hit economy and continue advancing his "America First" policy in trade and diplomacy.
Polls have favored Democratic challenger Joe Biden as many questions surround the incumbent's handling of the pandemic. Such concerns have increased after Trump said early Friday he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the virus, a stunning announcement just a month before the Nov. 3 presidential election.
The development could deal a blow to the campaign of the Republican president who has repeatedly downplayed the threat of the virus, which has killed more than 208,000 Americans -- by far the largest in the world.
Concerns are also growing that an expected surge in mail-in voting amid the pandemic may cause a delay in counting the ballots and determining the winner if the race is too close to call.
Following the chaotic first presidential debate on Tuesday, which was dominated by insults and interruptions, Trump and Biden plan to have two more debates on Oct. 15 and Oct. 22. But Trump's quarantine and a possible risk of severe symptoms or serious complications from the virus could affect the plans.
For Trump, 74, a businessman-turned-president, whose approval ratings are extremely high among Republicans but extremely low among Democrats, it is vital to win supporters beyond his highly polarized base.
In a Gallup poll conducted over the two weeks leading up to the first debate, Trump's job approval rating was 46 percent, its highest point since May. But, it is still short of the majority approval that incumbent presidents typically need to be confident of re-election, according to Gallup.
Over the past months, Trump has been pushing hard to shift the blame to China for the global spread of the coronavirus. Claiming credit for the strength of the U.S. economy before the outbreak, he promises to "again build the greatest economy in history" upon re-election through such means as tax cuts and deregulation.
Biden, 77, the former vice president under President Barack Obama, has been attacked for his planned tax hike, which a think tank estimates will raise tax revenue by around $3 trillion over the next decade, although he has argued that it targets only wealthy individuals and corporations.
Biden has also rolled out his "Buy American" plan, which features $700 billion in spending on U.S.-made products and research over four years. He has also pledged a $2 trillion investment to upgrade America's infrastructure and shift to a clean-energy economy.
While the economy is a top issue for voters, the November election will also be consequential in shaping the role of the United States on the global stage.
Trump's America First foreign policy has been viewed by critics as a unilateral approach, as seen from his decisions to withdraw the country from the Paris climate accord, the World Health Organization, the 2015 Iran nuclear deal and other international agreements and institutions that he believes do not serve U.S. interests.
Trump also pulled the United States out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, a regional free trade deal that included allies like Japan and Australia.
Instead, he has advocated bilateral trade deals, reaching agreements with countries such as Japan and China to reduce U.S. trade deficits.
In contrast, Biden has vowed to restore U.S. leadership on the global stage, by, among other things, returning to the Paris accord and the WHO. He also said he will revive relationships with long-standing allies, which he and many foreign policy experts believe have been undermined by Trump's transactional approach.
Both candidates, meanwhile, have sought to cast themselves as tough on China, apparently to capitalize on souring public sentiment against the world's second-largest economy where the novel coronavirus was first detected late last year.
While Trump had earlier this year praised China's efforts to contain the virus, his administration has shifted to a more aggressive stance against Beijing on issues ranging from trade and technology to Hong Kong, Taiwan, human rights and control over the South China Sea.
Biden, for his part, has vowed to counter China's abusive economic practices and human rights violations in close coordination with U.S. allies and partners.
In a U.S. presidential election, Americans vote in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia. The candidate who wins the popular vote in a state secures that state's "electoral votes," usually in a winner-take-all manner.
The candidate who gains 270 electoral votes wins the White House.
But, there are questions about whether the election will proceed smoothly this year, as a steep rise in the number of mail-in ballots, which many see as a safer alternative to voting in person amid the pandemic, could result in delays and legal challenges to vote counts.
Trump has repeatedly stoked concerns that widespread voting by mail could lead to voter fraud, with his comments believed to be part of an effort to delegitimize any outcome of the election that is not to his liking.
A losing presidential candidate typically concedes shortly after the outcome is known. However, Trump has refused to commit to a peaceful transfer of power if he is defeated, and has also insisted that the only way Biden will win is if the election is rigged.
Chronology of major events under Trump administration
Jan. 20, 2017 -- Trump is sworn in as U.S. president.
Jan. 27 -- Trump signs order for travel ban from seven Muslim-majority nations.
Jan. 30 -- Trump notifies member countries of U.S. withdrawal from Trans-Pacific Partnership free trade deal.
Feb. 10 -- Trump meets Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in Washington, their first meeting after Trump's inauguration.
June 1 -- Trump announces U.S. exit from Paris climate pact.
Aug. 8 -- Trump warns North Korea will face "fire and fury" amid nuclear and missile threats.
Nov. 5 -- Trump pays first visit to Japan as president.
Dec. 6 -- Trump announces recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel.
May 8, 2018 -- Trump announces U.S. withdrawal from Iran nuclear deal.
June 12 -- Trump meets North Korean leader Kim Jong Un in Singapore, the first-ever summit between the two countries.
July 6 -- U.S., China start tit-for-tat tariff war.
Nov. 6 -- U.S. Democratic Party regains majority in House of Representatives, while Republican Party retains majority in Senate in the midterm elections.
Feb. 1, 2019 -- Trump says U.S. is withdrawing from Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty with Russia.
June 30 -- Trump becomes first sitting U.S. president to step into North Korea as he meets Kim at the Demilitarized Zone dividing the two Koreas.
Oct. 7 -- U.S., Japan sign trade deal at White House.
Oct. 27 -- Trump says Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi died in U.S. military raid in Syria.
Dec. 18 -- U.S. House impeaches Trump for allegedly pressuring Ukraine leader to investigate political rival Joe Biden.
Jan. 3, 2020 -- U.S. military kills top Iranian general Qassem Soleimani in airstrike in Iraq.
Jan. 15 -- U.S., China sign partial trade deal at White House.
Feb. 5 -- Trump acquitted in impeachment trial in Senate.
March 13 -- Trump declares national emergency over outbreak of novel coronavirus.
March 15 -- U.S. Federal Reserve announces cutting key interest rate to near zero.
May 25 -- Black man George Floyd dies in police custody in Minnesota, sparking nationwide anti-racism protests.
May 30 -- U.S. aerospace manufacturer SpaceX becomes first private company to successfully launch humans into orbit.
July 7 -- U.S. says it has notified United Nations of its withdrawal from World Health Organization.
July 14 -- Trump signs order to end U.S. preferential treatment for Hong Kong.
July 23 -- U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo announces end to decades-old "blind engagement" with China.
July 24 -- U.S. confirms closure of Chinese consulate in Houston in line with U.S. demand.
Aug. 9 -- U.S. health secretary travels to Taiwan, highest-level visit by U.S. Cabinet official in four decades.
Aug. 18 -- U.S. Democratic Party officially nominates Biden as presidential candidate.
Aug. 28 -- Abe announces resignation due to chronic illness.
Sept. 15 -- Israel signs U.S.-brokered deals to normalize bilateral ties with two Arab countries at White House.
Sept. 18 -- U.S. Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg dies.
Oct. 2 -- Trump says he and first lady Melania are infected with novel coronavirus.
Nov. 3 -- U.S. presidential election to be held.
