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'Raspy' Trump claimed pandemic will end soon before he tested positive, trolls say his voice wasn't 'pure velvet'

'Through advances in treatment, we have reduced the fatality rate by 85 percent since just April,' the POTUS said hours before testing positive for Covid-19

Hours before he and his wife tested positive for the novel coronavirus, President Donald Trump told the nation in a "raspy" voice that the end of the Covid-19 pandemic "is in sight." 

"Through advances in treatment, we have reduced the fatality rate by 85 percent since just April," the POTUS, 74, told the annual Al Smith dinner, on Thursday, October 1, which was held online this year due to the pandemic. "We're on track to develop and distribute our vaccine before the end of the year, maybe substantially before. And I just want to say that the end of the pandemic is in sight."

Just hours later, the first couple confirmed that they had tested positive for the virus and would be quarantined together. "Tonight, @FLOTUS and I tested positive for COVID-19. We will begin our quarantine and recovery process immediately. We will get through this TOGETHER!" Trump tweeted and soon after, the FLOTUS posted a similar message saying, "As too many Americans have done this year, @potus & I are quarantining at home after testing positive for COVID-19. We are feeling good & I have postponed all upcoming engagements. Please be sure you are staying safe & we will all get through this together." 

Trump and Melania got tested after reports of White House aide Hope Hicks getting diagnosed with the disease. It was not clear where the president might have picked up the infection, although he was in close contact with Hicks on Thursday. 

The New York Times reported soon after: "Other aides to the president would not say whether he was experiencing symptoms, but people at the White House noticed that his voice sounded raspy on Thursday, although it was not clear that it was abnormal for him, especially given the number of campaign rallies he has been holding lately. Mr. Trump’s positive test result could pose immediate difficulties for the future of his campaign against former Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr., his Democratic challenger, with just 33 days before the election on Nov. 3. Even if Mr. Trump, 74, remains asymptomatic, he will have to withdraw from the campaign trail and stay isolated in the White House for an unknown period of time. If he becomes sick, it could raise questions about whether he should remain on the ballot at all."

Needless to say, the Internet did not miss an opportunity to poke fun at Trump for sounding raspy. "Loving the takes of people saying Trump sounded raspy yesterday, as though his normal speaking voice is pure velvet," one said, while another wrote, "Trump sounded a bit raspy during the debate. I remember thinking that he sounded like he had a bit of a cold." A third remarked, "Trump sounded like he had a cold during his speech in Duluth last night, wonder how the supporters of Trump's standing in front of him feel about wearing masks today? - maybe he'll finally start taking the Coronavirus seriously now that he has it rather mocking the people who do."

There were also those who thought that Trump's raspy voice might have more to do with his tendency to use a louder pitch while talking than the virus itself. "Yeah with all that screaming on Tuesday, a little rasp would seem par for the course," one said, while another wrote, "All that screaming & hollering at his super-spreader rallies made his voice raspy, I suppose. I wonder how much virus he was spewing out into the crowd."