By Steve Holland
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump plans to start holding campaign rallies again in the next two weeks, a Trump campaign official said on Monday, ending a three-month hiatus brought on by the coronavirus.
Trump, who thrives on the energy from packed arenas where he routinely speaks for more than an hour, has seen has rallies sidelined since his last such event, on March 2 in Charlotte, North Carolina, and aides describe him as chomping at the bit to get out and start campaigning again.
It was unclear exactly when or where Trump’s first rally will be and the official, confirming a report in Politico, said safety measures for attendees were still being worked out.
Campaign manager Brad Parscale is to present the president with some options in the next few days. In a statement, Parscale predicted Trump rallies will surpass those of Democrat Joe Biden, whose campaigning has also been sharply curtailed due to the virus.
“Americans are ready to get back to action and so is President Trump. The Great American Comeback is real and the rallies will be tremendous. You’ll again see the kind of crowds and enthusiasm that Sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of,” said Parscale, using a nickname that Trump often employs for his Democratic opponent.
A number of public opinion polls showed Biden with a lead nationally and more importantly, ahead of Trump in some of the battleground states where the election will be decided.
Trump’s political advisers, however, see active Republican enthusiasm for his candidacy based on a spotless record of victories by the 64 party candidates he has endorsed in special elections since the 2018 midterms.
(Reporting by Steve Holland; Editing by Alistair Bell)
