President Donald Trump plans to return to the election campaign with a series of online and in-person events, including a rally in Florida on Saturday, even as Congressional Democrats introduced a bill that provides for the removal of the president’s powers by medical reasons, beginning next trimester.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi introduced legislation on Friday to establish the ‘Commission on Presidential Ability to Exercise the Powers and Duties of Office’ under the 25th Amendment to the US Constitution, which allows the transfer of presidential powers to the vice president in the event of death, removal, resignation or incapacity. “This is not about President Donald Trump, he will face the judgment of the voters,” Pelosi said at a news conference on Capitol Hill.
Trump responded in a tweet, saying that Pelosi is the one who needed to be put under observation.
The president will begin his return to the campaign with a “radio rally” Friday on syndicated radio host Rush Limbaugh’s show and then will do his first on-camera interview since catching Covid-19 with Fox News, during which he will submit to an evaluation ”by the program’s medical partner.
Sean Conley, Trump’s physician, authorized him to “safely return to public engagements” on Saturday, the 10th day after the president was diagnosed with Covid-19, and said Trump “responded extremely well to treatment.” But the doctor has previously admitted to having projected an “optimistic” image of the president’s health.
Citing the doctor’s update, the Trump campaign asked the Presidential Debate Committee to revert to the in-person format for the second debate scheduled for Oct. 15, which the body had declared would take place virtually. Trump had rejected the change on Thursday, demanding a postponement of the in-person discussions.
Joe Biden, his Democratic rival, had agreed to a virtual debate and also a delayed second in-person debate. But he has rejected the Trump campaign’s demand for two delayed in-person debates, the second of which was proposed for Oct. 29, just four days before Election Day Nov. 3.
Trump, who trails Biden in opinion polls by an ever-widening margin. Haunted by illness, he needs debates to try to shore up his career. Biden has been accommodating, but made it clear that he will not be pressured.
President Trump has not been seen in public since his return to the White House on Monday, but he has shot and posted video messages about his health, downplaying the severity of the epidemic and stating that he may be immune to the virus. He has also conducted telephone interviews with Fox News anchors.
(With contributions from Agencies)
.
