Stocks Rise as Trump’s Health Stabilizes
Following Friday’s news of President Donald Trump testing positive for COVID-19, stocks took a dip amid uncertainty of what it means for the presidential race and economic future. Trump was admitted to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center later in the day and is currently undergoing treatment used for severe cases after running a high fever and lower than normal oxygen level.
Over the weekend, the president’s doctors said he was making considerable progress, although information from the medical team appeared to be somewhat confusing. On Sunday, in an unusual move strongly discouraged by doctors for a highly infectious patient, Donald Trump took a short motorcade drive by outside the hospital to wave to supporters who had gathered to wish him well. Video footage shows the president, darned in a mask, waving through the window from the back seat of an SUV, escorted by secret service agents who now have to quarantine for 14-days due to potential exposure to the virus.
By pre-trade on Monday stocks were expected to start higher, after news that the president may be released from the hospital by the end of the day. Over the weekend, the president encouraged Democrats and Republicans to “work together” to pass the COVID-19 stimulus bill, which was approved in the House on Friday, but still needs Senate approval to become law.
Early Monday morning, Trump tweeted he thinks the stock market is “getting ready to break its all-time high” and encouraged everyone to “Vote, Vote, Vote.”
Ann Sullivan is a contributing staff writer covering national and world news topics. She brings dedicated experience having written international and domestic news, blogs, and web content for over 20 years. She’s also a published poet and graphic designer with degrees in Business and Graphic Communications and has been a music distributor, music industry sponsorship sales director and band manager.