India to Iran: World reacts to Trumps infection with sympathy, mockery – Business Standard
News of the infection of the most powerful man in the world with the most notorious disease in the world drew instant reactions of shock, sympathy, undisguised glee and, of course, the ever-present outrage and curiosity that follow much of what Donald Trump does, even from 10,000 miles away.
Trump's announcement, on Twitter, on Friday that he and first lady Melania Trump tested positive for the coronavirus, and the deep uncertainty that accompanied it, permeated the global news cycle, upending countless plans and sparking comment everywhere from presidential offices to the thousands looking to weigh in on social media.
The positive test reading for the leader of the world's largest economy adds more uncertainty to investors' worries, including how the infection might affect the Nov. 3 election between Trump and Democrat Joe Biden. U.S. stock futures and Asian shares fell in the wake of the news. The future contracts for both the S&P 500 and the Dow industrials lost 1.9 per cent. Oil prices also slipped. Stock prices in Japan and Australia tumbled.
To say this potentially could be a big deal is an understatement, Rabobank said in a commentary. Anyway, everything now takes a backseat to the latest incredible twist in this U.S. election campaign. World leaders and officials were quick to weigh in, and there was both sympathy and something approaching schadenfreude.
Wishing my friend @POTUS @realDonaldTrump and @FLOTUS a quick recovery and good health, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted.
U.S.-India ties have prospered under Trump, and India is seen as a partner to balance China's growing weight in Asia.
Our best wishes go to the president and the first lady, but it demonstrates that no one is immune from Covid-19 and catching it. So it shows that no matter the precautions, we are all susceptible to this, Australian Agriculture Minister David Littleproud, deputy leader of the conservative Nationals party, said on Australian Broadcasting Corp. TV.
A trying time, and it just goes to show that a global pandemic can in fact touch anybody, even the president of the United States. Tokyo Gov. Yuriko Koike, speaking at a weekly news conference, did not mention Trump's reluctance to wear masks when asked about his infection, but she said the news reminded me of how widely masks are worn in Japan. Major media across the globe also played up the announcement, with bulletins crawling across TV screens in Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei and Beijing.
China's official Xinhua News Agency flashed the news, and an anchor on state broadcaster CCTV announced it; there was no immediate comment from the government Friday, the second day of an eight-day national holiday. The positive test result for Trump and his wife was the most searched topic in China after news about the holiday on the widely used social media app Weibo a few hours after the announcement, with most comments mocking or critical.
One user darkly joked that Trump had finally tweeted something positive. The Chinese government has bristled at Trump's attempts to blame China, where the disease emerged, for the pandemic and called for global cooperation in fighting it, a message that has resonated with the public.
Hu Xijin, the outspoken editor of the state-owned Global Times newspaper, tweeted in English that President Trump and the first lady have paid the price for his gamble to play down the Covid-19.
Iranian state television announced Trump had the virus, an anchor breaking the news with an unflattering image of the U.S. president surrounded by what appeared to be giant coronaviruses. U.S.-Iran ties have suffered since Trump unilaterally withdrew the United States from Tehran's nuclear deal with world powers and reimposed crushing sanctions.
Social media platforms in Asia were ablaze with quick reaction.
Would Trump blame the Chinese? Would he thumb his nose at his critics and enemies by breezing through the quarantine without serious symptoms, tweeting away from the White House? Would he become gravely ill, or worse, and, if he did, what would that mean for the U.S. election, one of the most contentious in recent history?
While the uncertainty seemed palpable on a scroll through various nations' social media, many of the comments seemed to revel in the announcement.
Here comes a chance for him to actually try out his idea of injecting disinfectant into himself and fighting back (against allegations that) it was fake news! tweeted Hiroyuki Nishimura, a Japanese internet entrepreneur, referring to an idea Trump floated earlier this year for treatment.
Keio University economics professor Masaru Kaneko tweeted that populist leaders, like British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, "got infected because they tended not to take the coronavirus seriously. The two other leaders seriously tackled (the virus) after they get infected themselves.
The rest is here:
India to Iran: World reacts to Trumps infection with sympathy, mockery - Business Standard
- China uses "dark fleet" to buy oil from Iran and evade U.S. sanctions in international waters - CBS News - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Report: After war with Israel, Iran seeks Jewish targets in Europe, increases arrests - The Times of Israel - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Forced back from Iran, Afghans face drought, poverty and repression - Al Jazeera - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- What the Israel-Iran conflict revealed about wartime cyber operations - Atlantic Council - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Russia and Iran are on a collision course with Trump - The Hill - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- How Many More Outposts Are We Going to Let Iran Establish in the U.K.? - Middle East Forum - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- US says sanctions hit Iran shipping empire linked to top Tehran official - Al Jazeera - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- US warns citizens against visiting Iran citing its 'paranoid' spy hunt - - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- The Iran-Israel Conflict and the U.S. Role: 11 Documentaries to Watch | FRONTLINE - PBS - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- We uncover the secret food trade that corrupts Iran's neighbours - The Economist - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Irans Revolutionary Guards warn of shifting battlefield with Israel | Iran International - - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Clearing the air: Heat index of 182 degrees in Iran likely false - AccuWeather - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Renewed aggression against Iran will change regions geography of war: IRGC - Tehran Times - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Iran Slams As Ridiculous Accusations By US, Other Western Countries - Iran Front Page - Iran Front Page - IFP News - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Head Of Basij Organization: Enemies Attempts To Divide Iran Failed - Iran Front Page - Iran Front Page - IFP News - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Industry Struggles and Public Anger Grow Amid Water and Power Crisis in Iran - Iran Focus - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Iran beat Finland to secure place in the 2025 FIVB Boys U19 World Championship semis - Tehran Times - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Joint Statement on Iranian State Threat Activity in Europe and the United States - U.S. Virtual Embassy Iran (.gov) - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Iran: Proposed Cyber Bill Gives Authorities Sweeping New Powers to Block and Punish Online Content - Center for Human Rights in Iran - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- New US sanctions on Iran cut SeaLeads vessel fleet by one-third - Journal of Commerce - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- The Strategic Importance Of The Khaf-Herat Railway: Iran Eyes Access To Central Asia And China Through Afghanistan - MEMRI | Middle East Media... - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- US sanctions international suppliers supporting Iran's Shahed drone manufacturer - The Kyiv Independent - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Iran opposition group pledges Islamic Republic's overthrow at Rome rally - - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- Iran-Israel AI War Propaganda Is a Warning to the World - Carnegie Endowment for International Peace - August 1st, 2025 [August 1st, 2025]
- US used about a quarter of its high-end missile interceptors in Israel-Iran war, exposing supply gap - CNN - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Execution of Behrouz Ehsani and Mehdi Hassani Marks a Turning Point in Irans Struggle for Freedom - National Council of Resistance of Iran - NCRI - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Replacing Iran with Turkey Is a Recipe for Disaster in Syria - Foundation for Defense of Democracies - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- What Happened to Iran and Israel Markets After 12-Day War? - IranWire - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Wednesday letters: Hurds priorities and bombing Iran - Post Independent - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Iran News: Regimes Transnational Repression Among Top Threats to UK Security, Parliamentary Report Warns - National Council of Resistance of Iran -... - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- How the Snapback Mechanism Brings Back Sanctions on Iran? - IranWire - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Pegah Banihashemi: What possibility is there for true reform in Iran? - Chicago Tribune - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- US spends $2B to rebuild THAAD arsenal after Iran fight drains stockpile - Stars and Stripes - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Iran Withdraws Controversial Anti-Disinformation Bill After Criticism - IranWire - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- To Put Iran on Ice, the U.S. Must Freeze Out China - RealClearDefense - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- How Israel Could Exploit Iran's Ethnic Division to Wage War From Within - Newsweek - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- Iran executes two members of opposition group for attacking infrastructure - Reuters - July 30th, 2025 [July 30th, 2025]
- King of Kings by Scott Anderson review how the last shah of Iran sealed his own fate - The Guardian - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- The 1988 Massacre in Iran: A Crime Against Humanity and the Pursuit of Justice - National Council of Resistance of Iran - NCRI - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Contributor: I fled persecution in Iran. ICE enforcement here today reminds me of Tehran - Los Angeles Times - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Iran-born Israeli charged with giving Tehran sensitive info on Israels war plans - The Times of Israel - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Iran Started New Talks Over Its Nuclear Program. Heres What to Know. - The New York Times - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Iran vows to respond in a more decisive manner if attacked again by US or Israel - The Times of Israel - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Iran offers dialogue, not oversight, as IAEA heads back to Tehran - Ynetnews - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Iran Vows Stronger Response If Attacked Again By US, Israel - NDTV - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Holon residents fume at event feting demolition of homes damaged by Iran - The Times of Israel - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Iran and Europeans hold frank nuclear talks with snapback UN sanctions looming - The Times of Israel - July 28th, 2025 [July 28th, 2025]
- Iran and Europeans hold 'frank' nuclear talks with UN sanctions looming - Reuters - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Strikes on Iran thwarted fission and fusion nukes, and electronic pulse bomb report - The Times of Israel - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Why the Shah of Iran was toppled and America got it so wrong - The Times - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- 150 THAAD Ballistic Missile Interceptors Fired By U.S. During Iran's Barrages On Israel: Report - The War Zone - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Iran to hold nuclear talks with Europeans as Trump threatens renewed strikes - ABC News - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- European countries hold talks with Iran in Istanbul, with a sanctions threat looming - NPR - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- How 12 days have changed Iran - The International Institute for Strategic Studies - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Tehran On The Brink: Can Iran Survive Its Water Crisis? - Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Urgent Call to Save PMOI Supporter Yaghoub Derakhshan from Execution in Iran - National Council of Resistance of Iran - NCRI - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Iran says its ready for nuclear talks with Washington but only if the U.S. rebuilds trust - PBS - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Nine killed in armed attack on courthouse in southeast Iran - - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Iran, China, Russia, and the collapse of deterrence in the Red Sea - Atlantic Council - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Five Dead in Judiciary Building Attack Southeast of Iran: Mizan - Bloomberg.com - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Israel aimed to collapse Iran, but united us instead - Tehran Times - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Iran state TV says an Iranian navy helicopter confronted a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman - ABC News - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Why China Must Drop Iran and Embrace Israel - The Times of Israel - July 27th, 2025 [July 27th, 2025]
- Iran considering relocating its capital over severe water shortage - report - The Jerusalem Post - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran shuts down in the face of blistering heat - NBC News - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran Says It Could Exit Nuclear Treaty if Europe Reimposes Sanctions - The New York Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran to Resume Talks on Nuclear Program With United Nations Agency - The Wall Street Journal - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Officials in Iran Suspect Sabotage in Wave of Fires and Explosions - The New York Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran state TV says an Iranian navy helicopter confronted a US destroyer in the Gulf of Oman - AP News - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- The road to the Israel-Iran war - Brookings - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran lays down conditions for resumption of nuclear talks with US - Reuters - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran agrees to visit by team from UN nuclear watchdog in coming weeks - Reuters - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Amnesty International accuses Iran of firing cluster munitions at Israel - The Times of Israel - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran says its ready for nuclear talks with the US but only if Washington rebuilds trust - AP News - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran outlines conditions for renewed nuclear talks with U.S. - Washington Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran says it's ready for nuclear talks with the US but only if Washington rebuilds trust - Yahoo Home - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran says it's ready for nuclear talks with US but only if Washington rebuilds trust - The Norfolk Daily News - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Guard at U.S. Embassy in Norway Charged With Spying for Russia and Iran - The New York Times - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran's Secret Empire: How Its Nuclear Program Is Funded by Drugs, iPhones, and Shell Companies - National Security Journal - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]
- Iran says it warned US destroyer to move away from waters monitored by Tehran - USA Today - July 24th, 2025 [July 24th, 2025]