Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis sparks worries in Asia – and the headline ‘Life’s a bleach’

Asian governments are worried about a possible leadership vacuum in the White House if the US President falls seriously ill or there is a delay in the election

Newspapers across the region splashed Trump’s diagnosis across their front pages with one West Australian tabloid using the headline ‘Life’s a bleach’

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US President Donald Trump disembarks from the Marine One helicopter as he arrives at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center on Friday following his diagnosis with coronavirus. Photo: EPA

Published: 11:23pm, 3 Oct 2020Updated: 11:31pm, 3 Oct 2020

US President Donald Trump’s Covid-19 diagnosis on Friday has sparked concern across Asia about the possibility of the US election in November being delayed and a leadership vacuum in the White House if he falls seriously ill.

The US has never delayed an election before and the decision lies with Congress, but analysts say given the partisan divide, it seems unlikely that Republicans and Democrats would be able to come to an agreement on postponing the election date.

In South Korea, the administration of President Moon Jae-in, is probably preparing a Plan B for Seoul-Washington relations in case Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden wins the upcoming election, said Choi Kang, vice-president of the Asan Institute for Policy Studies in Seoul.

Trump’s illness would affect the presidential election and this would might influence the US approach to North Korea, said Choi.

“For the Moon administration, the Trump administration may look better when it comes to dealing with the North,” Choi said. Moon has been pushing for greater inter-Korean engagement but has faced political fallout at home after a recent incident where troops from the North found an unarmed man from the South floating in their waters and killed him.