US President Donald Trump and Joe Biden, the Democratic party's nominee for the 2020 presidential election

Handling the crisis

The most crucial question facing American voters is “Which candidate do they trust more to handle the pandemic?” Observers say President Trump’s only hope for re-election lies in not being seen as a loser in the fight against COVID-19. 

While Trump’s slogan “America First” won over a critical number of voters in 2016, the COVID-19 outbreak has wiped out almost all the economic gains that Trump has been banking on to win a second term. The pandemic has caused an economic recession and massive unemployment and is exacerbating a new backlash against the racial inequality that has infected American society for two centuries.

White Americans who voted for Trump 4 years ago are expressing frustration with the administration's handling of the current crises. On election day many of them may stay home or vote for Joe Biden.

Unpredictable race

Unlike Trump’s previous opponent, Hillary Clinton, his current opponent, Joe Biden, is neither a divisive figure nor under constant media attack as Mrs. Clinton was in 2016. Trump’s mishandling of the pandemic has helped Biden gain more support among voters over 65.

Recent polls show Trump lagging behind Biden in several key states he needs to win to stay in the White House. Overall, Biden is leading Trump by 8.7%, the widest lead 3 months before the election since 2000.

Public opinion polls prior to the election are not always reliable predictors. Some people think Trump may again surprise the pundits as he did 4 years ago. Others say he will have to do more this time than simply outperform expectations. He will need to play a Trump card to win and that has many people worried.