The important thing is that he's quarantining. Trump's response to the coronavirus has been not simply to downplay the seriousness of the effects, but to downplay its infectivity too. Hence making fun of Biden's mask literally two days ago.

*If* it was a ploy, he'd continue to do everything he'd been doing already, since it's the preventative measures that impact the economy right now, not the people getting sick and dying.

So if this was some sort of "superhuman president overcomes virus" story, he'd be demonstrating the kind of reckless behaviour he's been encouraging. Why try to muddy the message now?

Conceivably, you might argue that the scam wouldn't work without some sort of pretence at taking precautions - he can't just be at a rally and say, "oh yeah, I've got it right now, actually, and look: I'm fine!" It has to appear plausible.

But it's a very convoluted scheme, isn't it? Occam's razor applies.

Feels like there are a lot of easier ways to screw up this election, like all the ones he's been using so far. Why energise your base to obstruct voting if you're hoping to garner sympathy votes with a fake health scare?

We can wargame a thousand ways these events can benefit him in November, and they might well do that, but that doesn't mean it's some sort of master plan. Trump is not an evil genius: he's just evil. He gets away with the shit he does because it never occurred to anyone he'd try.