Trump has tried to present the country as nearing 2019-style normality, able to operate businesses and schools, and with vaccines, treatments and economic good times almost within reach.
The US is rounding the corner, he tells large, packed rallies of often mask-less supporters. The President has disparaged mask-wearing - the best weapon the country has to prevent infections - despite getting the virus himself.
In some ways the President is not all wrong: health experts expect vaccines to become available in the first quarter of next year and data last week showed GDP rose by 7.4 per cent in the third quarter, after a second-quarter drop of 9 per cent.
But his spin on the situation has run smack into hard reality. US infectious diseases expert Dr Anthony Fauci predicted at the end of June that the US could reach 100,000 cases a day and at the weekend that nearly happened, with 99,000 recorded. Cases are rising in all the election battlegrounds.
In contrast to Trump, European leaders have faced their own virus surge with a strong, quick response of targeted closures and curfews. On Sunday British Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced that England would have to go into lockdown for a month after its overall cases passed a million.
Democratic candidate, former Vice-President Joe Biden, is in tune with that approach of being prepared to take the virus seriously. For Biden, normality involves acknowledging the reality of the problem and its impacts, and dealing with it.
Trump focuses on the politics of the situation. The President is trying to appeal more to those fed up with anti-Covid measures than those concerned about their health. Former President Barack Obama has identified a different voter fatigue - with Trump himself and his approach to the presidency.
The two candidates have vastly different views on the presidency and democracy, and what wielding power involves and means. They are a contrast in temperament and attitudes.
The election pits Trump and his highly enthusiastic supporters against the broadest coalition any Democrat has assembled since Bill Clinton in 1996.
Biden is the moderate figurehead but behind him are centrist and liberal Democrats, many independents and disillusioned Republicans, including former officials who have broken ranks and military figures. Polls show Biden is ahead with the youngest and oldest voters, suburban women, and has eaten into Trump's 2016 margins with white voters.
The latest Fox News poll offers a stark contrast in how voters see the two candidates. Biden is viewed favourably by 55 per cent and unfavourably by 44 per cent. Trump is viewed favourably by 44 per cent and unfavourably by 55 per cent.
There has been a record turnout for early voting. By the weekend, 90 million people had voted - about 66 per cent of the total who took part in the 2016 election.
At the top of concerns are Covid and the recovery, and who is best to handle them. The US public's verdict will soon be known.
