Trump at a rally in 2019. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images
President Trump is planning to resume his campaign rallies within the next two weeks, Politico first reported and Axios has confirmed.
Why it matters: Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, the Make America Great Again rallies were the driving force behind Trump's re-election campaign, allowing him to connect with his most loyal supporters on a massive scale. But the gatherings often draw thousands of attendees packed into arenas shoulder to shoulder, raising the risk of spreading the coronavirus.
- Trump's team is reportedly looking into where rallies could be held and what safety precautions will be implemented. The campaign plans to present him with options in the next few days, per Politico.
The other side: Trump's presumptive opponent Joe Biden has announced no plans to resume rallies and is doing little in-person campaigning.
- Biden emerged in public for the first time in over two months in late May for Memorial Day, and he's since made a handful of stops to visit ongoing protests and the family of George Floyd.
- But Biden advisers said in May that while they eventually plan to resume in-person campaigning and travel, they'll defer to the guidance of health care professionals on the timeline.
Between the lines: Trump has fallen significantly behind Biden in both national and swing-state polling — enough so that top advisers have been sounding the alarm about the need for him change some of his rhetoric, as Axios' Jonathan Swan reported Sunday.
- Recent polls show Biden holds a 12% lead in Michigan and is trailing by just 1 point against Trump in Texas.
What they're saying: "Americans are ready to get back to action and so is President Trump," campaign manager Brad Parscale said in a statement. "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."