Trump’s big RNC challenge: Reframing pandemic politics

Most voters disapprove of how the president has handled the virus. His reelection may hinge on whether he can change that – favorably contrasting his approach to COVID-19 and the economy with that of Democrats.

There is an elephant in the room at this week’s Republican National Convention, so to speak: the coronavirus pandemic.

President Donald Trump may prefer to focus on law and order, standing up to China, and the “socialist” Democrats. But COVID-19 remains by far the most important issue facing the nation in both impact and voter interest. It has reshaped almost everything about daily life in America – including the political conventions themselves.

Many of the speakers at last week’s almost entirely virtual Democratic National Convention touched on the pandemic in one way or another. Former Vice President Joe Biden has promised a more forceful federal coronavirus response, including, if necessary, lockdowns.

“As president, the first step I will take: We will get control of the virus that has ruined so many lives,” said Mr. Biden in his nomination acceptance speech.

President Trump to this point has focused on therapeutics and the possibility that a vaccine will be available soon. That strategy could backfire if the vaccine timeline gets delayed or other problems emerge.

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Still, Mr. Trump has some wiggle room to reframe the issue this week, says Republican communications strategist John Feehery. He can criticize the Democratic approach to the virus as heavy-handed, while striking a more optimistic tone and recasting 2020 as an obstacle, not a dead end.

“Obviously, this is not Morning in America. We’re not in as strong a position as Reagan was,” says Mr. Feehery, referring to a 1984 campaign commercial. “But we were before COVID hit, and we can be post-COVID.”