Trump says he intends to hold rallies in Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina after coronavirus hiatus
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President Trump wants to get back on the campaign trail ASAP.
With less than five months to go before the general election in November – and after months of being stuck in Washington amid the coronavirus pandemic – Trump said on Wednesday that he’s going to restart campaign rallies with trips already planned to Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona and North Carolina.
The president said the first rally will be next Friday June 19 in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
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Trump's rally schedule came to a sudden halt three months ago when the COVID-19 lockdowns largely shuttered the nation, but the president has been eager to get back on the campaign trail and resume the rallies that have been the hallmark of his political career.
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The president's eagerness to resume rallies comes as internal and public surveys show his reelection campaign against Democrat Joe Biden is struggling. He's also looking for a campaign reset as the nation tries to adjust to a new normal after contending with the virus, a teetering economy and weeks of nationwide protests against racial injustice.
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Florida, Arizona and North Carolina are all key swing states in the general election – and ones Trump won in 2016. But most polls show Biden ahead of Trump in both Arizona and Florida, and the president holding only a narrow lead in North Carolina.
"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," Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale said Monday in a statement. "You’ll again see the kind of crowds and enthusiasm that Sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of.”
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Campaign officials said the precise format and locations for the rallies remain to be determined, as many states — and federal guidelines — still caution against holding mass gatherings, particularly in enclosed spaces. It was unclear what specific precautions would be implemented to protect the 73-year-old president and attendees from the potential spread of the coronavirus at rallies.
Trump rallies traditionally pack tens of thousands of people into arenas or outdoor amphitheaters in conditions that would not meet federal social distancing guidelines.
Trump is already set to resume campaign fundraisers this week, with smaller high-dollar events in Dallas and at his private club in New Jersey. The roughly two dozen attendees at each fundraiser will be administered COVID-19 tests before entering the events, which will also benefit the Republican National Committee.
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Fox News' John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.