Trump Hopes To Resume Rallies As Campaign Vows Their Return

President Trump said Friday that he hopes to reboot campaign rallies ahead of November's general election, saying the arena-sized events are "a tremendous way of getting the word out."

Monday, April 20th 2020, 5:42 am

By: CBS News

Trump Hopes To Resume Rallies As Campaign Vows Their Return

President Trump said Friday that he hopes to reboot campaign rallies ahead of November's general election, saying the arena-sized events are "a tremendous way of getting the word out." Large gatherings have been banned amid the coronavirus pandemic, making political rallies impossible.

"It's great for the country. It's great spirit," Mr. Trump remarked Friday. He added later "I hope we're going to have rallies. I think they're going to be bigger than ever."

Trump campaign officials on April 12 signaled a possible return, while reminiscing about the energy inside overflowing arenas on a campaign digital livestream.

"Never fear," Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh told supporters. "The president is certain that we're going to be back out there speaking directly to the American people."

Murtaugh doubled down on his assertion on Friday. "This coronavirus will pass and the president is looking forward to getting back out on the campaign trail and holding rallies," the spokesperson told CBS News. "We will get back to those rallies."

Mr. Trump hosted nearly three dozen rallies since the beginning of 2019, but over six weeks have passed since Mr. Trump's last rally in Charlotte, North Carolina, which was held ahead of Super Tuesday. On March 6, as coronavirus began spreading in the U.S. and top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci warned against large gatherings, Mr. Trump said he had "no plans" to stop holding rallies. He said it "doesn't bother me at all" that there are "tens of thousands of people standing outside the arena." But eventually, he was forced to called off his "Catholics for Trump" rally that was scheduled for March 19 and there have been none since.

Mr. Trump said that while he aspires to entertain stadiums, he prefers a packed crowd to socially distanced events. "I don't like the rallies where we're sitting like you're sitting," he told reporters seated several feet apart in the White House Briefing room. "I'm looking at this room, I see all this. It loses a lot of flavor."

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