Opinion – Nationalism and Trump’s Response to Covid-19
Benjamin Cherry-Smith
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Apr 3 2020 • 

Image by Jernej Furman


There is no doubting the impact that covid-19 – also known as coronavirus and the novel coronavirus – is having on the world, with the World Health Organisation (WHO) declaring it a pandemic on March 11th. Governments around the world are mobilising their health systems and restricting the travel and movement of their citizens to lessen the spread. As covid-19 continues to spreads throughout global populations, the impact that the virus can have on global economies, such as the United States (US), China, and Europe, are only starting to be felt. Politically, there is a need to show leadership and to clearly communicate the precautions necessary to mitigate the further spread of covid-19 and flatten the curve. Clear communication is a skill which the US President Donald Trump appears to be lackin

For the US, the covid-19 outbreak and response have come during the lead up to the 2020 Presidential election. It is this election which sets the context for, and colours the interpretation of, President Trump’s March 11th address to the nation. Trump’s White House address furthered his nationalist discourse. Trump achieved through an ambiguous policy speech where he employed nationalist messaging and showed his favour for other world leaders who express and act out nationalist agendas. Specifically, there are two aspects of the address which further Trump’s nationalist agenda, the European travel ban and the rhetoric he uses when referring to covid-19.

The World Responds

On the policy front, the Trump administration had initially struggled to respond to the covid-19 outbreak. While Trump acted early, enacting a travel ban from China in mid-January that gave time for the US to respond; time which the administration did not adequately use. As a result of not acting sufficiently, the US is now dealing with the world’s largest number of cases with over 160,000 confirmed cases.

This response stood in contrast with China – where the virus originated – or states which are geographically close to China, such as South Korea. President Trump’s response though echoed Western states who had not yet experienced the spread of covid-19.


In China, Beijing showcased its command and control approach to containing the outbreak. Beijing locked down Hubei province, restricting the movement of 18 million people, and built a 1,000-bed hospital for covid-19 patients. According to a covid-19 tracker created by Johns Hopkins University, China is currently handling the fourth largest outbreak with more than 80,000 cases.

In the West, states have responded differently from both China and each other. They were approaching it either as an economic issue first and health issues second. Recognising the impact that the virus could have but seeking to ‘delay‘ the peak to flatten the curve, allowing time for the state apparatus to ramp up response to the virus. However, as covid-19 continues to spread throughout Europe, particularly as Italy and Spain enter lockdown, Western policymakers have adopted similar measures not just to each other, but those which were seen in China. Enforced quarantining and social distancing with ‘shelter in place‘ laws passed, closing internal borders and restricting domestic travel, and enacting travel bans and closing international borders.

The European Travel Ban

Travel bans themselves, have played a critical role in buying time for the US to react to and contain covid-19. In his national address when Trump announced the ban on European travellers into the US, but made it a point to explicitly state that the United Kingdom (UK) was exempt – this exemption has since been reversed.


Nevertheless, the European travel ban furthers two of Trump’s nationalist discourses. The first builds on Trump’s anti-immigration discourse, while also further exacerbating the tension between the US and Europe. Trump blames European counties for not acting quickly in banning travel from China. For Trump, not restricting travel from China lead to the spread of covid-19 within Europe and subsequently “seeded” the US.

As Trump did not consult European leaders before his announcement, he further exacerbated the tensions between the US and Europe. Trump and European leader have clashed over a variety of different policies and approaches to addressing crises. Most notably over meeting financial obligations for the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation, dealing with the ongoing European immigration crisis, climate policy, the Iran nuclear deal, a small trade war and signalling the start of a new one.

The second narrative Trump plays into is rewarding other leaders who push nationalist discourses. Current UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the former leader of the Brexit referendum’s ‘Leave’ campaign and an ardent Brexiteer, has a notably positive relationship with Trump. Trump has also previously praised Johnson for his handling of Brexit and has called the European Union “an anchor [a]round the ankle” of the UK in recent bilateral trade talks.

The initial exemption of the UK from the travel ban furthers the nationalist bond between Trump and Johnson while distancing European allies.

Covid-19 the “Foreign Virus”


In the March 11th national address, Trump characterised covid-19 as a “foreign virus.” This is not the first time covid-19 has been characterised as a foreign, with Trump and Republican politicians having called covid-19 the “Wuhan virus” and the “Chinese coronavirus.”

When Secretary of State Mike Pompeo refers to the covid-19 as ‘Wuhan virus,’ he is allegedly doing so to “counter Chinese Communist Party disinformation.” However, when senior policy adviser Stephen Miller – an immigration policy hardliner and one of the writers of the national address – pushes the ‘foreign virus’ discourse, the message being sent is clear. Trump, with the help of Miller, is politicising the response to covid-19 by pairing it with anti-immigration rhetoric, effectively casting the virus as an immigration issue first and public health issue second.

Trump has defended his use of ‘Chinese Virus‘ by saying “it comes from China, that’s why. I want to be accurate.” This reasoning runs in direct contrast to the WHO’s naming convention, which aims not to stigmatise communities. Prefacing covid-19 with either ‘Chinese’ or ‘Wuhan’ also has the purpose of deflecting blame away from Trump as it presents the covid-19 as a problem someone else caused. Deflecting blame means that Trump can create his own political cover on how he has handled the spread of covid-19 throughout the US.

As covid-19 continues to spread in the US and the administration continues its response, the 2020 political situation will become salient. Trump will formally switch from being a governing president to a campaigning president. During the 2020 presidential campaign, his handling of covid-19, both as a public health and economic issue, will be at the forefront. This is especially important, as covid-19 is already impacting presidential primaries. Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland and Ohio have all postponed primary elections and talks about how to handle the general election in November are underway.

Whatever the case may be, while the Democrats are still deciding who their presidential nominee will be, Trump will use every opportunity to push his nationalist discourse. His national address just demonstrates that no issue is free from his nationalist agenda, every policy not thought out requiring further clarification, and while speeches lack rhetorical clarity, they have clear messaging intent.

Further Reading on E-International Relations


ABOUT THE AUTHOR(S)
Benjamin Cherry-Smith is an Associate Editor of E-International Relations and a Master of Arts Candidate at the University of the Sunshine Coast. His research primarily focuses on ontological security theory, foreign policy, national identity, and the development and protection of norms. He can be reached via twitter at @BenCherrySmith.

Covid Nationalism
Mark Juergensmeyer
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Sep 6 2020 •

Matt Gush/Shutterstock


The Covid-19 pandemic has brought out the best and worst in people around the world. On the one hand, it has encouraged a sense of global citizenship that focuses on our common humanity and encourages the sharing of resources and information to combat the health crisis. On the other hand, it has strengthened authoritarian regimes and prompted the rise of a new kind of popularism. At the extreme edge of this surge of anti-restriction protests is the merger of virus conspiracy theories with defensive patriotism. It is this new phenomenon that might be called ‘Covid nationalism’.

After six months of lockdowns, quarantines, the closure of shops and bars, and the limitation on public mobility, large sections of populations around the world have understandably had enough. In late August in Germany, a huge crowd of young, angry and mostly males, many of them without masks or social distancing, stormed the streets of Berlin and attacked the parliament buildings. Nine hundred were arrested. Similar street protests were held in London and Zurich. In Melbourne, Australia and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, crowds not only protested the restrictions but claimed that the virus was a ‘scam’ created to spread fear falsely among the public.

Perhaps nowhere in the world has there been a greater backlash against the pandemic restrictions than in the United States. It is a resistance rooted in a deep-seated American individualism and fostered by the conspiratorial fantasies of the US President Donald Trump. Since April, anti-restriction protests have erupted in every state in the US. On 30 April 2020, a crowd of armed protestors entered the Michigan state capital and threatened lawmakers with automatic weapons. Other protests have been organized by a group called ‘Operation Gridlock’ that encourages protestors to use their automobiles and trucks to block off streets around public buildings. Many of the protestors wear red caps with the logo ‘Make America Great Again’ – the Make America Great Again (MAGA) hats of Trump supporters. These activists are protesting a new global threat, a virtually invisible one caused by tiny virus cells. Covid-19 is the new global enemy, imagined to be aided by those scientists, health professionals and public leaders who appear to conspire with the virus to vex the ordinary lives of angry white males with MAGA hats. More than a public nuisance, the restrictions created by Covid-19 are thought to be undermining the American way of life.

Covid-19 is a neologism created by shortening the phrase coronavirus disease 2019. Like SARS and the other coronaviruses, it is highly contagious. Because it was likely first transmitted to humans from live animals in Wuhan, China, it has been possible to link the disease with sinister foreign and global forces out to undermine the American way of life. The conspiracy theories regarding its origins and spread are ubiquitous. To a paranoid segment of the right-wing community in the US, these conspiracies have been linked to globalization. In these theories, the virus was the attempt of China, or the UN, or Microsoft founder Bill Gates, or 5G technology — or some other sinister force — to scare Americans and deprive them of their liberty. Rather than blaming the government for its ineptitude in allowing the virus to spread rapidly, making the US by far the most infected nation on the planet, the blame was placed on fictional foes.

Perhaps the most frightening of the imagined falsehoods has been the notion that the disease is not real, but a hoax perpetrated by clever liberals to sedate the populace. Hence those who held to this fiction could cavalierly ignore any of the recommended restrictions, crowding together in public and thereby endangering everyone else. Doctors treating some Covid-19 patients have had to contend with their arguments that they could not possibly have the disease since it was a hoax, and it didn’t actually exist. These fears and the anger over having been hampered by restrictive pandemic regulations have brought hordes of gun-toting angry white men and women out on the streets in protest. Before American cities erupted in demonstrations against police brutality, led largely by young Blacks and progressive whites, these white MAGA hat-wearing protestors had the media’s attention. They will likely return in force, especially if new restrictions are adopted when the predictable new waves of virus infection occur.


What is disturbing is the increasing nationalism of the protest rhetoric. This is especially true in the United States, where American flags and patriotic songs are part of the theatre of protest rallies. But it has also been the case in Melbourne, where the Australian national anthem was sung in an anti-restriction protest, and in Berlin where German flags were part of the visual drama of protest events. In the United States, the nationalism of the protest movements has been increasingly associated with racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric. Trump and his followers insist on speaking of the ‘China virus’ or the ‘Wuhan virus’ rather than simply the ‘coronavirus’. The response has been a rising anti-Asian sentiment in the country that has led to attacks on people of Asian ancestry. In May, CBS news reported that there had been over two thousand such attacks around the country, including physical assaults. Mexicans and Muslims have also been targeted with the imagined fear that they are bringing the virus into the country with them, despite the fact that the US percentage of virus infection is much higher than in Mexico or virtually any Muslim country.

Yet this racist and anti-immigrant rhetoric helps to shore up a sense of xenophobic nationalism that had been a part of the public discourse in pre-pandemic days. Only a few months ago some of the same MAGA-hat wearing protestors were on a somewhat different nationalist crusade. At that time the perceived global assault on American nationalism was economic — entangling trade alliances that were touted as taking away American jobs — or forms of cultural globalization aimed at undermining the American way of life. The perception that there was a global cultural assault on nationalism was easy to imagine since the evidence of it was closely at hand. After all, waves of new immigrants from non-European countries entered the United States in recent decades, some illegally. They were easy to marginalize since they were different from white Euro-Americans, not only ethnically but in some cases by their religion. Worst of all were those who were Muslim.

But the new pictures of virtually the same angry white males with MAGA hats show them protesting against Muslims or Mexicans not just because of their ethnicity or religion, but also because they are perceived to be bearers of the virus and the cause of the restrictions. Early on in the pandemic, Trump was stating that the threat of Mexican-born virus was a new reason to increase border security and gain funding for his much-touted border wall. It appears that the resentment over the global pandemic and its restrictions has joined forces with right-wing populist rage. The racist and anti-immigrant cultural nationalism of recent years has found an ally in an angry nationalism that is equally anti-global and defensive, a Covid nationalism. The culture wars and the animosity against immigrants, refugees, and Muslims have merged with the individualist nationalism that protests against the Covid-19 restrictions

Whether or not Covid nationalism will be the prime vessel of anti-global xenophobic nationalism in the future is a question that is not easy to answer. It largely depends on the future of the pandemic. The optimistic scenario is that the worst is over, that the rate of infections around the world will continue to decline, national and global economies will slowly re-emerge and a vaccine will be found to be effective by the end of the year. In this scenario, the current fears may subside in the re-emergence of normalization. And the old forms of cultural nationalism and its disdain against immigrants and minorities may again surface. Or perhaps by then, they will have been forgotten.


But the optimistic scenario is not the likely one. The possibility is real that there will be waves of new infections and with them new restrictions for at least a year or more to come. The greatly anticipated vaccine may be years off, and perhaps not discovered for decades. There is still no vaccine for HIV/AIDS, for example, though it has become a managed disease. Perhaps the same could be the case with Covid-19. The world could learn to live with it, though many of the health restrictions would continue to be in place. This means that resentment against the restrictions will continue. The conspiracy theories are likely to proliferate, and the sense that the luxurious independent ways of life are being corroded by sinister global forces may expand. Covid nationalism could be a major element of the continuing right-wing populism of the future. But that does not mean that cultural nationalism will be forgotten. We may see the generation of even more conspiracy theories — similar to those already propagated — that blame immigrants, minorities, liberals, foreign interference and global forces for the pandemic and its restrictive assault on familiar daily life. Thus, the two forms of populism could forge an even deeper unhappy alliance.

At present Covid nationalism — the populist protest against an imagined global intrusion of pandemic restrictions — is largely but not solely an American phenomenon. Like the virus itself, it easily spreads across borders and has become a feature of angry segments of the populace in Europe and other parts of the globe. There, too, it has merged with existing anti-immigrant cultural nationalism. The global emergence of Covid nationalism is the perfect storm of the future.

Mark Juergensmeyer is Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Global Studies and the founding director of the Orfalea Center for Global and International Studies at the University of California, Santa Barbara. He is author of over twenty books including Global Rebellion: Religious Challenges to the Secular State (2009). Twitter @juergensmeyer

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ALTERNATIVE THEORY
Serbian Virologist Dr. Ana Gligic: There won't be another wave, coronavirus will go away, but then reappear "Such viruses occur epidemically every four to seven years. First, the epidemic of Covid-19 in circulation must be extinguished, and only then can another wave appear after a few years," 

Printscreen: TV Prva

Coronavirus has so far claimed more than 700 lives in Serbia, while officially, about 32,000 people have been infected. The epidemiological situation is now more stable, but doctors are warning that it is important for citizens to respect all preventive measures in order to stop a new increase in the number of cases.

Well-known virologist Dr. Ana Gligic, who was the head of the laboratory at the Torlak Institute during a smallpox outbreak (in the early 70s), has told the daily Politika that after all, we will not have another wave of the coronavirus epidemic, but only peaks, and stressed that Covid-19 has shown that some the rules that apply to similar infections do not apply to it at all.

"We won't get rid of it so easily. There are only two options: either here will be herd immunity or a vaccine, in order to reduce it to the minimum possible degree," Dr. Gligic thinks.

When asked when the second wave is expected to appear, she said that there will be none.

"There will only be peaks. Such viruses occur epidemically every four to seven years. First, the epidemic of Covid-19 in circulation must be extinguished, and only then can another wave appear after a few years. Coronavirus will not stay in this form it has now form forever, it will go away. And then it will reappear. We don't know whether it will be of epidemic or pandemic character then," she said.

She added that this virus constantly surprises us, which is why everything is unpredictable.

"As soon as Covid-19 appeared, I said, 'It will stay because it was created and survived in nature'. When you 'mess' with nature it's like you've upset the hornet's nest. The virus woke up and we can hardly get rid of it. Those who advocate the thesis that it will disappear must know that this can only happen if something happens in nature, without our influence. What we are doing is just repairing the consequences that it has caused. Coronavirus is not from yesterday. It's been around, there somewhere, for a long time. But it gained these proportions due to the influence of the external environment. Suddenly, something we didn't pay attention to went wild. I wonder about many things, but projects must be done in order to explain everything with certainty," said the virologist.

She stressed that this is a natural hotbed of viral infection, but she distanced herself from the thesis that the virus originated in China.

"The question is whether all this came from China. There are theories that it originated in a laboratory from which it was intentionally 'released' or whic it 'escaped'. I don't agree with that, although such a possibility exists. I only believe the evidence. A scientist who would prove something like that would probably win the Nobel Prize," Dr. Ana pointed out.
Protection - flu vaccine

The doctor stressed that it is extremely important to receive the flu vaccine.

"Be sure to get the flu vaccine. This is important because a person can be attacked by both the flu and coronavirus at the same time. It's terrible if two infections are found in the same organism. In particular, the elderly will not be able to withstand that," she warned.

She pointed out that there have been cases when people respected all the measures and protected themselves, and still got infected with coronavirus.

"People did not communicate with anyone, they did not leave the house, nor did anyone come to see them, yet they became infected with Covid-19. We can link that with the thesis that I presented in March, that coronavirus is transmitted by air," concluded Dr. Gligic.

VIDEO: Kon: In July, coronavirus flared up thanks to sporting events, celebrations, elections and protests
https://www.telegraf.rs/13838afa-be47-474e-b07c-a998fd8d162c

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STORIES FOR YOU
Dr. Ana Gligic, who fought a smallpox epidemic in 1972, warns: "Yes, virus can be inhaled"

Dr. Stevanovic's appeal: Don't try to cure yourself at home, see a doctor, examination is key

Doctor Gojkovic: Yes, unfortunately, a large number of coronavirus victims in Serbia were obese

John McEnroe famously screamed 'You cannot be serious!' 38 years ago today

By Sam Pearce 22/06/19



John McEnroe is known as a tennis legend, not only for his championship-laden career, but also his controversial antics on the court.

Never afraid to inform the umpire that he felt they had made a wrong call, it was on this day 38 years ago that he provided arguably the most memorable moment of his career and possibly in the sport itself.


McEnroe had already become well known for his short temper and been nicknamed 'Superbrat' by the press when he faced Tom Gullikson in the first round of the 1981 Wimbledon championship.


He became irate when umpire Edward James ruled that his serve went out, initially barking "Excuse me?" before launching into a tirade after James explained his decision.

"You can't be serious man, you cannot be serious!" he screamed to the shock of the watching crowd.

"That ball was on the line, chalk flew up!" he continued. "It was clearly in, how can you possibly call that out? How many are you going to miss?

"He's walking over, everyone knows it's in, this whole stadium and you call it out? Explain that to me, will you? You guys are the absolute pits of the world!"

McEnroe was docked a point for his outburst and later fined $1,500 and threatened with disqualification, even though the crowd eventually applauded his complaints and replays appeared to show that he was right.

Despite the controversy, he went on to win the tournament, defeating Bjorn Borg in an epic final to claim the first of three Wimbledon titles in four years.


"You cannot be serious!" became an iconic phrase associated with the American and was also the title of his 2002 autobiography.

He described the outburst as “a scream that came straight from Queens in my native New York, but that has travelled very far in the years since."

It may be almost 40 years to the day since McEnroe famously lost his cool, but watching it is still undoubtedly as entertaining as ever.

Different rules apply to Federer and Djokovic: Here is what happens when Roger hits ball boy!

The Swiss did not even receive a warning because of this incident 

HOW SERBIAN MEDIA SEES DJOKOVIC RULING

WILL TRUMP PARDON HIM ONLY MELANIA KNOWS

• 
  

Photo: AP/Tanjug/swissgenius

The tennis world is still in shock after the scandalous decision by the US Open tournament to disqualify Novak Djokovic after he accidentally hit a lineswoman with the ball during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta. The rules in these situations can obviously be applied arbitrarily, and the decision of the US Open was the most drastic possible - a disqualification.

We already had an example in New York about ten days ago, when Slovenian tennis player Alijaz Bedene received only a warning after he hit a cameraman with the ball. Cameramen and ball boys  and girls are at the same level as referees when it comes to getting hit by balls, but Bedene was lucky to hit a normal person, one who did not make drama about it and accepted that he was hit accidentally.

Roger Federer had a similar situation a few years ago at the Australian Open, when he hit the ball boy in the head. However, he was not even warned then, let alone anything more than that!

Disqualification was not even considered, while the situation with Novak was completely different.

Although Novak did not hit the ball with full force, but wanted to return it to those collecting balls standing outside the court, he accidentally, without looking, hit the line referee in the head, who then produced an Oscar-worthy performance. She acted as if she was having a heart attack and was unable to breathe, and created drama that forced a medical team to intervene.

After that and a ten-minute discussion, the tournament organizers decided to disqualify Novak.

Take a look at what it looked like when Federer hit a child standing next to the court, rather than a 50+ woman, and how after that he just laughed and continued to play, without receiving any warning.

The rules, obviously, are not the same for everyone!

VIDEO: Trump and Vucic talked about Novak at the White House two days before Djokovic was disqualified

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UPDATED

MISOGYNISTIC Djokovic disqualified from US Open after hitting FEMALE line judge with tennis ball IN THE THROAT

HE PULLED IT FROM HIS POCKET IN A PETULANT DISPLAY OF MANBOY ANGER

IT HAPPENED AT THE BILLIE JEAN MEMORIAL TENNIS FIELD ON THE ARTHUR ASHE COURT (ICONIC IRONY)

HE FAILED TO APOLOGIZE

Issued on: 07/09/2020

Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tend to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic on September 6, 2020, day seven of the 2020 US Open, in Flushing Meadows, New York, USA. © Danielle Parhizkaran-USA TODAY Sports

SHE IS RIGHTLY TERRIFIED OF HIM AND HIS WHITE MALE PRIVILEGE MEANS HE CAN TOUCH HER WITHOUT PERMISSION WITH A PATRONIZING PAT ON THE BACK, CHIN CHIN OLD MAN AND ALL THAT 

Text by:NEWS WIRES
4 min

Novak Djokovic was sensationally disqualified from the US Open on Sunday after striking a female lines official in the throat with a ball.

The world number one went 5-6 down in the first set to Spain's Pablo Carreno Busta when he pulled a ball out of his pocket and hit it in disgust in the direction of the official.

Djokovic appeared to be looking away from the official at the time, but he hit the ball with considerable force and when it struck her she could be heard gasping and coughing.

The official fell to the floor of the Arthur Ashe court clutching her throat.

Djokovic rushed over to check that she was okay. He put his hand on her shoulder as she appeared to be struggling to catch her breath.

After a few minutes she got up and walked off the court.

Following around ten minutes of discussions with a rules official, during which Djokovic argued his case, the umpire declared that Carreno Busta had won by default.

Djokovic then shook hands with Carreno Busta but not with the official in the umpire's chair as he left the court looking bewildered

This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So… https://t.co/UL4hWEirWL— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) September 6, 2020

He quickly exited Flushing Meadows without speaking to reporters.

Carreno Busta said he did not see the incident.

"I was celebrating the break with my coach," he told reporters.

"When I heard that the line judge was on the floor I was in shock. I never expected this moment when playing Novak.

Carreno Busta added that the incident was "unintentional."

"I think it was bad luck," he said.

Djokovic is one of only a handful of players to be disqualified from a men's singles tournament at a Grand Slam since John McEnroe was infamously tossed from the Australian Open in 1990.

The United States Tennis Association said he would lose all ranking points and prize money from the tournament.

'Very unlucky'

Rivals and former players reacted with shock after the disqualification.

Germany's Alexander Zverev had words of sympathy for Djokovic, describing the disqualification as "very unfortunate."

"He hit a tennis ball. It's very unfortunate that, you know, he hit the line judge, and especially where it hit her," Zverev said.

"There is a rule in place for it. I think the supervisors and all of them are just doing their job. Very unlucky for Novak.

"He's going to be a little bit upset about it. If he would have hit it anywhere else, if it would have landed anywhere else, we are talking about a few inches, he would have been fine."

Former women's world number one Tracy Austin said the disqualification was justified.

"Right call! Stunning to watch this unfold. Hope lines person ok...#crazyturnofevents," Austin wrote on Twitter.

Right call! Stunning to watch this unfold. Hope lines person ok.🙏@DjokerNole clear favorite to win 18th GS-shrink margin behind Rafa/Roger. Seems only way ND loses. New 1st time MAJOR champion will be crowned. #crazyturnofevents— Tracy Austin (@thetracyaustin) September 6, 2020

And four-time US Open champion Martina Navratilova said officials "had no choice" but to default Djokovic.

Former British No.1 Greg Rusedski described the disqualification as "unbelievable" but said officials had made the "correct decision."

"Novak should have stayed for the press conference & apologise," Rusedski wrote.

"We must take responsibility for our actions no matter how difficult the situation is."

Djokovic had been chasing an 18th Grand Slam title at the Billie Jean King US National Tennis Center.

He was hoping to close the gap on Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal, both absent from the tournament, in the race for the all-time men's Slam singles title record.

Djokovic is on 17, with Nadal on 19 and Federer on 20.

(AFP)

 Novak Djokovic hits ball at US Open line judge: How the incident unfolded, what was said and the tennis world's reaction

Djokovic joined the list of players to receive one of the sport's rarest punishments

By Telegraph Sport and Press Association

7 September 2020 • 

Novak Djokovic apologised after being defaulted from the US Open for accidentally hitting a line judge with a ball struck in annoyance.

The top seed and 17-time grand slam champion had just dropped serve to trail Spanish opponent Pablo Carreno Busta 6-5 in the opening set of their fourth-round match on Arthur Ashe Stadium when the incident occurred.

How the incident unfolded

Djokovic, who had missed three set points at 5-4 before hurting his shoulder in a fall, hit a ball behind him without looking that struck a female line judge in the throat.

The line judge collapsed to the court and could be heard gasping for air as Djokovic rushed over to check on her condition.

Djokovic pleaded his case during lengthy discussions with tournament referee Soeren Friemel and grand slam supervisor Andreas Egli, but the officials' mind was made up.

The moment Novak Djokovic's #USOpen came to an end... pic.twitter.com/ptDQxS8DQM— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) September 6, 2020

🚨NOVAK DJOKOVIC DISQUALIFIED 🚨

After losing a point, the world No.1 hits a ball towards the back of the court and strikes a line judge...#USOpen pic.twitter.com/52NYof5jgV

— Amazon Prime Video Sport (@primevideosport) September 6, 2020

"The facts were discussed and explained by the chair umpire and the Grand Slam Supervisor," Friemel said. "In this situation, it is especially important that we are 100 per cent sure what exactly happened. The facts were established, and then I had to speak to Novak Djokovic, [to] give him the chance to state his point of view.

"His point was that he didn't hit the line umpire intentionally... We all agree that he didn't do it on purpose, but the facts are still that he hit the line umpire and that the line umpire was clearly hurt."

"There was no other option," Friemel added. "Intent is part of the discussion, but there are two factors: one is the action and [the other] the result. The action, while there was no intent, the result of hitting the line umpire and [her] clearly being hurt is the essential factor in the decision-making process here."

What the rules say

A statement from tournament organisers read: "In accordance with the Grand Slam rulebook... the US Open tournament referee defaulted Novak Djokovic from the 2020 US Open."

Accrding to the US Open:

There are two ways to be defaulted from a match: through an accumulation of code violations or by a singularly egregious act.

A default is one of tennis' rarest punishments, if only because of the type of on-court actions that are considered a catalyst for it. Tennis matches are adjudicated by a code of conduct, and the punishment for violating the code—through actions such as ball abuse, racquet abuse, unsportsmanlike conduct, and other similar offenses—accumulate typically over the course of a match.

The first code violation is a warning, the second comes with a point penalty, and the third comes with a game penalty—with the offending player subject to default at the referee's discretion at any time should the code be violated again thereafter. However, when a situation such as Sunday's arises in a match, the Point Penalty Schedule may be bypassed in favor of an immediate default. 

Section T of Article III, "On-Site Player Offenses," of the ITF Grand Slam rulebook discusses the procedure of defaulting a player from a match, and also that the decision cannot be changed.

"In all cases of default," it reads, "the decision of the Referee in consultation with the Grand Slam Chief of Supervisors shall be final and unappealable."

Also, asper the Grand Slam rules, any player who is defaulted from a tournament loses all points and prize money that they would have gained as a result of completing the event. 

Who else has been defaulted previously

Djokovic is not the first player to be defaulted in similar circumstances, but for it to happen at a grand slam and as the tournament favourite is an extraordinary situation.

Canadian Denis Shapovalov was defaulted during a Davis Cup tie against Great Britain in 2017 after smashing a ball in anger that hit umpire Arnaud Gabas in the eye.

Tim Henman was disqualified from Wimbledon 25 years ago for hitting a ball girl with a ball during a doubles match while David Nalbandian kicked an advertising hoarding during the Queen's final in 2012, injuring a line judge, and was defaulted.

'I apologise to the US Open tournament and everyone associated for my behaviour' - what Djokovic said afterwards

After the premature end to his bid for an 18th Grand Slam, Djokovic left the grounds without attending a press conference - a decision that drew criticism.

The 33-year-old later wrote on Instagram: "This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling OK.

"I'm extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So wrong."

He subsequently accepted the decision, saying in his statement: "As for the disqualification, I need to go back within and work on my disappointment and turn this all into a lesson for my growth and evolution as a player and human being.

"I apologise to the @usopen tournament and everyone associated for my behaviour. I'm very grateful to my team and family for being my rock support, and my fans for always being there with me. Thank you and I'm so sorry."

How the tennis world reacted

'There's no doubt it's the right decision' - Tim Henman

Speaking on Amazon Prime, Henman said: "It's a massive shock. There's no doubt it's the right decision. It's amazing for me to talk about this because it happened to me at Wimbledon in 1995. It was that moment of frustration, hit the ball away when I wasn't looking and I hit a ball girl in the ear."

'I was in shock' - match opponent Carreno Busta

Carreno Busta had sympathy for Djokovic but felt it was the right decision.

He said: "I was in shock. I never expected this moment playing against Novak. So it was a tough moment also for me.

"I don't think that any one of us do this kind of thing intentionally. It's just the moment. The referee and the supervisor do the right thing, but it is not easy."

'It's very unfortunate that he hit the line judge, and especially where it hit her' - Alexander Zverev, fifth seed "It's very unfortunate that he hit the line judge, and especially where it hit her," Zverev told reporters.

"Very unlucky for Novak. I think he's going to be a little bit upset about it. If he would have hit it anywhere else, if it would have landed anywhere else, we are talking about a few inches, he would have been fine.

"I'm a little bit in shock right now."

'Unbelievable' - Martina Navratilova, 18-times Grand Slam singles champion

"Unbelievable what just happened on the court," she wrote on Twitter. "Novak Djokovic defaulted for inadvertently but stupidly hitting a lineswoman in the throat with a ball and the officials had no choice but to default.

"Wow... #sad Glad the woman is ok- we must do better than that."

'The rule is the rule' - Billie Jean King, 12-times Grand Slam singles champion

"I hope the line judge is okay," she wrote on Twitter. "The rule is the rule. It is unfortunate for everyone involved, but in this specific situation the default was the right call."

'You are not allowed to do that' - Mats Wilander, seven-times Grand Slam singles champion

"You are not allowed to do that," he said. "It's as much bad luck as you can have on a tennis court. He didn't just roll the ball back to the ball kid, that's the bottom line.

"He hit it harder than he intended to, obviously a complete accident. It was a sign of frustration, yes. A little bit. But it doesn't matter, you are not allowed to do it."

'They had no other choice' - Alex Corretja, former French Open finalist

"It's amazing how one centimetre can change not only the match, but the future of our sport, the history of our sport," he told Eurosport.

"With the rule as it is, you need to disqualify him. It's obvious they had no other choice, it's a pity..."

'Novak deserved it' - Tim Mayotte, coach and former player

"Almost every high-performance player I train does what Novak did in firing the ball," he posted on Twitter. "I tell them to stop it, and break the habit for this exact reason, they eventually hit someone and it won't be good. Yes, Novak deserved it."

'How many years would I be banned for?' - Nick Kyrgios, Australian tennis player

"Swap me for jokers incident. ‘Accidentally hitting the ball kid in the throat’ how many years would I be banned for? 5? 10? 20?" he wrote on Twitter.

What is next?

Djokovic will have to get used to being the "bad guy", American great John McEnroe has said.

"The pressure just got to him. I think a lot has been going on off the court," McEnroe told ESPN.

"It's obviously affected him and whether he likes it or not, he's going to be the bad guy the rest of his career.

"If he embraces that role, I think he could recover. He's got a lot of things going for him, but this is a stain that he's not going to be able to erase."

Video: Watch what Novak Djokovic did that got him defaulted at the U.S. Open

U.S. Open's No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic was defaulted after angrily hitting a ball that accidentally hit a linesman in the throat. He later apologized on social media

Novak Djokovic, of Serbia, checks a linesman after hitting her with a ball in reaction to losing a point to Pablo Carreno Busta, of Spain, during the fourth round of the US Open tennis championships, Sunday, Sept. 6, 2020, in New York. Djokovic defaulted the match. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)

By FRED ROBLEDO | frobledo@scng.com | San Gabriel Valley Tribune
PUBLISHED: September 7, 2020 

Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 men’s tennis player in the world and top seed at the U.S Open, was defaulted on Sunday in the fourth round, sending shockwaves throughout the tennis world.

Top-seeded Novak Djokovic was defaulted from his fourth-round match at the #USOpen after he accidentally hit a line judge with a tennis ball Sunday. pic.twitter.com/TTstxZB2Jw
— ESPN (@espn) September 6, 2020

Djokovic was trailing 5-6 in the first set against Spain’s Pablo Carreño Busta when after losing a point, Djokovic smacked a tennis ball behind him in anger that accidentily hit a line judge.

The line judge was hit in the throat and required medical attention. After a discussion with officials, Djokovic was defaulted, ending his chance to win his 18th major tournament. Here are different video’s of the incident and what social media is saying about the default.

Djokovic took to Twitter and Instagram to apologize later.

This whole situation has left me really sad and empty. I checked on the lines person and the tournament told me that thank God she is feeling ok. I‘m extremely sorry to have caused her such stress. So unintended. So… https://t.co/UL4hWEirWL
— Novak Djokovic (@DjokerNole) September 6, 2020




First his shoulder and now this.@DjokerNole has accidentally hit a line judge.

What will be the punishment?#USOpen pic.twitter.com/PO5mNVo3G6
— Tennis Channel (@TennisChannel) September 6, 2020


Here are my thoughts on the Novak Djokovic default.

First I hope the line judge is okay.
The rule is the rule. It is unfortunate for everyone involved, but in this specific situation the default was the right call. #USOpen
— Billie Jean King (@BillieJeanKing) September 6, 2020


The moment that #1 Novak Djokovic knew that his #USOpen and his undefeated 2020 season were over. pic.twitter.com/uwd5fbXKb1
— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 6, 2020


Should Novak Djokovic have been defaulted at the U.S. Open for hitting a ball in anger that accidentily hit a linesman?

— Inside SoCal Sports  (@InsideSoCalSpts) September 6, 2020




BREAKING: “Novak Djokovic, the No. 1 seed in the men’s draw, was disqualified from the U.S. Open after accidentally striking a lineswoman with a ball hit in frustration,” reports @nytimes
pic.twitter.com/wsVDKBa0nY
— David Begnaud (@DavidBegnaud) September 6, 2020


Wow. Novak Djokovic has been defaulted from the #USOpen after striking a lineswoman with a ball.
pic.twitter.com/t1zX6lEFxK
— Sacha Pisani (@Sachk0) September 6, 2020

I have to disagree. That is purely accidental, he isn’t looking.
— S̶t̶e̶p̶h̶e̶n̶ Steven Anderson (@SDAUK) September 6, 2020

Not trying to downplay the overall moment ….it appears she was hurt….. but that was not a "hard" hit. You make it sound like he served it at her throat 100mph . Not what occurred.
— Rome Van Lara (@RomeVanLara23) September 6, 2020

Absolutely right call to default @DjokerNole, no intent in his actions but rules are rules. Poor by @usopen to drag the decision out, clearly it was made early on but nerves of the situation set in. Also #novakdjokovic storming out of press and not saying sorry. Bad 2020 for him.

— Jaime Tunstall (Stay at  ) 

(@jaimetunstall) September 6, 2020


Novak Djokovic has been defaulted from his US Open fourth-round match after unintentionally hitting a lineswomen with a ball hit in anger. There will be a first-time major champion on the men’s side. pic.twitter.com/2NhrxsBGbT
— Bryan Armen Graham (@BryanAGraham) September 6, 2020


Novak Djokovic has been defaulted from the U.S. Open after hitting a line judge with a ball pic.twitter.com/ByKxKjXG28
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 6, 2020

Who would guessed, the first player to beat Djokovic in 2020 would be…Djokovic
— Jon Wertheim (@jon_wertheim) September 6, 2020

"There's no way Novak Djokovic can possibly look any worse this year"
Djokovic:pic.twitter.com/6tjtMLvP8R
— Ardit Luciano (@Ardit_Luciano_) September 6, 2020




“after he accidentally hit a line judge with a tennis ball”

Ridiculous decision! Stay strong @DjokerNole ! #usopen

 https://t.co/Dhmi3wqJNb

— Bogdan Bogdanovic (@LeaderOfHorde) September 6, 2020




Novak Djokovic quite rightly booted from the @usopen for this pic.twitter.com/EI1DpLR3pn

— Andrew Gourdie (@AndrewGourdie) September 6, 2020




Wow. Wow. No. 1 seed Novak Djokovic has been defaulted from the U.S. Open after hitting a ball in anger that then hit a lineswoman in the throat and she fell to the court.

Djokovic plead his case, but those are the rules.

— Ava Wallace (@avarwallace) September 6, 2020

And just like that, with #1 Novak Djokovic getting himself defaulted, we are guaranteed to have a new Grand Slam champion in men's tennis for the first time in six years.#USOpen

— Ben Rothenberg (@BenRothenberg) September 6, 2020


What Roger Federer thinks of all of all this drama with Novak Djokovic pic.twitter.com/E2aqNCEUUL

— LoveSetMatch   

(@LoveSetMatch_) September 6, 2020


Pretty clear! #zerotolerance pic.twitter.com/wmWgHygYzD
— James Escarcega  

(@James_Escarcega) September 6, 2020


Fred Robledo | sports editor
Fred Robledo is a local sports editor for the Southern California Newspaper Group.

Trump Jr: 

I Know What Poverty Is, I Stood In Communist Bread Lines
YOU CANNOT MAKE THIS SHIT UP DEPT

Screengrab / @Acyn / Twitter
JakeThomas 
5 hours ago
"I waited in those breadlines. I can assure you they are not as glamorous as Bernie and academia...make them out to be."

In this clip, Donald Trump Jr. claims he "grew up" in a communist country and knows what it's like to wait "in breadlines". Junior also suggests that he grew up in "Czechoslovakia", a country that hasn't existed since 1993.

Watch: https://twitter.com/i/status/1227779028012023808

Michael Cohen says Trump once said after meeting evangelical Christians: 'Can you believe people believe that bulls---?'

Ashley Collman

President Donald Trump with a Bible 

HELD UPSIDE DOWN SO ALL THE POWER DRAINS OUT

while visiting St. John's Church across from the White House after agents cleared the area of protesters on June 1. BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images

Michael Cohen, the former fixer and lawyer to President Donald Trump, is releasing a memoir on Tuesday called "Disloyal."

In the book, Cohen details how Trump reacted after meeting with evangelical Christians before winning the 2016 election. An excerpt was published by The Washington Post.

According to the excerpt, Cohen says Trump remarked after the meeting: "Can you believe people believe that bulls---?"

Cohen also says it was a "cosmic joke" that Trump had managed to convince working-class people that he cared about them when "the truth was that he couldn't care less."

Evangelicals — who make up one in four Americans — were credited with helping Trump win the White House, with 80% voting for Trump in 2016.


President Donald Trump spoke condescendingly about evangelical Christians after holding a meeting with religious leaders before the 2016 election, his former lawyer and fixer Michael Cohen has said in a new book.

Cohen, who broke with Trump to cooperate with the special counsel Robert Mueller's Russia investigation, is releasing a memoir Tuesday titled "Disloyal: A Memoir: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump."

The Washington Post, which obtained a copy of the book before its release, reported one passage in which Cohen details what he says happened after Trump met with prominent evangelical leaders at Trump Tower in 2016 before winning the presidency.

After the meeting was over, Cohen says, Trump said: "Can you believe that bulls---? Can you believe people believe that bulls---?"

"The cosmic joke was that Trump convinced a vast swathe of working-class white folks in the Midwest that he cared about their well-being," Cohen added, according to The Post. "The truth was that he couldn't care less."

It's unclear what meeting Cohen was referring to, but Trump did meet with conservative Christian leaders in New York City in June 2016, according to NPR, which was allowed inside the private event.

Though Trump — a self-described Presbyterian — was not known for being religious, evangelical Christians overwhelmingly supported him in 2016, with 80% of the group voting for him over Hillary Clinton.

Evangelical Christians are an important voting bloc. With one in four Americans describing themselves as evangelical, they are the most common religious group in America, according to the Brookings Institution think tank.

This support has mystified many, since Trump's behavior and language can be very un-Christian-like.

In his first term, however, he has pleased evangelical Christians by adding two conservative justices to the Supreme Court, blocking funding to Planned Parenthood, and supporting religious freedom.

Read more:
Trump admires Putin because he is rich and runs Russia like it's his personal company, 

according to Michael Cohen's new bookTrump reportedly took home $750,000 worth of art from the home of the US ambassador to France in 2018 after canceling a World War I cemetery visit