Trump has been sidelined for more than week since his COVID-19 diagnosis during a critical juncture in campaigning for the November 3 election.
Opinion polls show Democratic nominee Joe Biden leading Trump by a significant margin nationally, but more narrowly in some of the battleground states that may determine the outcome. The president has yet to be certified as virus-free by hismedical team, but he was cleared to resume public engagements as of Saturday. He is expected to make remarks around a “law and order” theme from a White House balcony to a crowd of hundreds on the lawn below.
On Monday, Trump plans a campaign rally in central Florida, a must-win state for his hopes of a second term. Questions remain about whether Trump, who announced on October 2 he had the virus and spent three nights in a military hospital, is still contagious.
Trump’s doctor gives him the all-clear:
In an appearance on Fox News on Friday evening, Trump said he was tested again for the virus but did not disclose the result. He also said he had stopped taking medications to combat COVID-19. “I feel really strong,” Trump said.
Trump and his administration have faced criticism for their handling of the pandemic, as well as for a lax approach to mask-wearing and social distancing in the White House and – in recent days – confusing messages about how ill the president has been.
Biden in Pennsylvania
People at the Florida rally will be given a temperature check, masks that they will be encouraged to wear and access to hand sanitizer, the campaign said. Biden will travel on Saturday to the city of Erie in north western Pennsylvania, a state that Trump narrowly took over Democrat Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election.
Former Democratic President Barack Obama won the county in the two elections beforehand and Biden, who was Obama’s vice president, has made the region a top priority.
A Reuters/Ipsos opinion poll released earlier this week showed Biden with a five-point edge over Trump in Pennsylvania. The poll also had Biden with a 10-point lead nationwide.
Senator Elizabeth Warren, who battled Biden for the Democratic nomination, will campaign on his behalf on Saturday in another swing state — New Hampshire. Warren is popular with young progressive voters, some of whom have expressed scepticism toward Biden. Trump and Biden will campaign next week without having to prepare for a debate.
The commission had shifted the face-to-face debate to a virtual one after his illness.