President Donald Trump made his first public appearance Saturday since returning from a three-day coronavirus hospitalization, telling supporters gathered on the South Lawn of the White House that “through the power of American science and medicine , we will eradicate the virus from China once and for all. . “
“I want to thank you all for your prayers,” Trump said from a White House balcony to hundreds of guests.
The appearance was designed to show that the president has recovered from Covid-19 and is ready to resume work and his career against Democratic candidate Joe Biden. But the president appeared without certification from his doctors that he is no longer contagious with the deadly virus, and despite the White House not releasing a formal update on his recovery since Thursday.
Still, the president sat for at least three hours of remote television and radio interviews with conservative media personalities on Friday, and is expected to resume an intense campaign travel program this week with rallies in Florida, Pennsylvania and Iowa. Trump has been eager to return to public events after his battle with the coronavirus, his aides say, an impatience that only grows when the president lags further behind Biden in the polls.
Still, Saturday’s event risks deepening concern among voters about Trump’s handling of a pandemic that has left more than two dozen of his close associates infected and more than 210,000 Americans dead.
After the president’s last outdoor event, a rose garden ceremony on Sept. 26 to announce his election of Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court, at least 11 attendees tested positive for coronavirus. While the White House had a virus testing regimen, few guests wore masks and attendees mingled and sat in close proximity to each other both indoors and outdoors.
Trump’s doctor said Wednesday that the president had had no symptoms for the past 24 hours. White House press secretary Kayleigh McEnany said Trump “will be ready to go” on Saturday when he “wants to talk to the American people.” Medical tests are under way to ensure that he does not transmit the virus when he returns to the campaign, he said on Fox News, adding that he had consulted with the White House doctor, Sean Conley. McEnany, who has tested positive for Covid-19, is working remotely.
Virus detection
On Saturday, White House guests were to bring masks and wear them on the ground, a person familiar with the matter said, adding that they must also undergo a Covid-19 test on Saturday morning that will include a temperature check. and a short questionnaire. But those rules were not enforced by the White House but by the event’s organizer, the Blexit group, led by Candace Owens, a Trump ally, the person said.
Trump’s first trip outside of DC will be to Orlando on Monday, where he is expected to hold an outdoor hanger rally at the airport. He will follow that Tuesday with a rally at an airport outside of Pittsburgh, and a similar event Wednesday in Des Moines. His campaign is negotiating a town hall on the television network Thursday, according to CNN.
Trump’s challenge to win over voters has only intensified in recent days. His vacillations over a stimulus bill and the second presidential debate have fueled a developing narrative that he is reeling when a second term eludes him.
Earlier in the week, Trump, to the dismay of his fellow Republicans, said he was cutting off talks on an additional coronavirus stimulus bill, only to quickly reverse course after the announcement shook markets.
But the following days saw a number of different and often contradictory statements from the White House. First, officials said they would resume talks, but only on stand-alone bills to boost the airline industry and small businesses.
Reverse heading
Then Trump said he not only wanted a comprehensive bill, but it was open to levels even beyond what Democrats had proposed. By Friday afternoon, the administration was preparing a proposal for a $ 1.8 trillion settlement that was below what House Speaker Nancy Pelosi described as her floor, but exceeded the levels that the leader. Senate Majority Member Mitch McConnell said that would be acceptable. Both House Democrats and Senate Republicans expressed skepticism about the proposal early Saturday.
Trump and his campaign team, who, like White House staff, have suffered from coronavirus infections at the highest levels, are looking for ways to reverse the president’s decline in polls.
Trump withdrew from the second debate because the bipartisan commission that organized the event said it would take place virtually after his diagnosis. Trump’s efforts to force the debating committee to reverse course or reschedule the remaining debates failed. As a result, Trump will be deprived of one of the last chances to reach voters before Election Day or will be forced to back down publicly.
That has left the president eager to get back on the campaign trail, hoping that his iconic rallies may offer him a chance to reconnect with voters and rekindle enthusiasm for his candidacy.
The president told Fox News host Sean Hannity that his team was looking to host a rally Saturday night in Florida, the earliest possible date his medical team said it could resume public appearances, and a second event. Sunday in Pennsylvania.
Symptoms of the virus
White House advisers said logistical challenges prevented hosting such events on short notice. But the president also acknowledged on Friday that he is still experiencing some symptoms of his brush with the coronavirus. Trump was seen struggling to catch his breath after walking a flight of stairs during his return from the hospital on Monday, and occasionally lost his voice during his interview with Hannity on Thursday.
Still, Trump sought to emphasize his health Friday through his marathon of interviews with conservative media figures.
That included an uninterrupted two-hour conversation on Rush Limbaugh’s syndicated radio show. On that show, Trump ranked Fox News anchors on how favorable they were to him personally, voicing alarm that Attorney General Bill Barr might not release the findings of a politically charged investigation into the origins of his Russia investigation. and delivered a warning with insults to Iran.
Trump followed up with several more interviews, including an appearance on Mark Levin’s talk show. The president is expected to be interviewed again Sunday morning by Fox Business Network.
“I feel really good, I feel very strong, I know a lot of people who have had the Covid, or the China virus as I call it because it came from China,” the president said in an interview on Fox News on Friday. “But I feel very, very strong and a lot of people don’t feel that way sometimes for a while afterward.”
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