OVERVIEW
- President Donald Trump attends Florida rally to meet hundreds of supporters
- Less than 14 days after testing positive for COVID-19, Mr. Trump claims he is ‘immune’ and ‘so powerful’
- Many supporters didn’t follow any pandemic safety rules by avoiding face masks and staying closer than 6 feet from one another
- Florida is a key state in the battle for presidency, hence Mr. Trump’s big return took place here
Only two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19, President Donald Trump is back on track for his campaign trail – this time in Sanford, Florida.
Opinion polls are currently showing that President Trump’s opponent, Joe Biden, is leading by 10 points nationally. However, there are a few key states where his lead is much narrower; in Florida, for example, the Democrat is 3.7 points ahead, as per Real Clear Politics polls.
Why does this matter? Well, states such as Florida and Ohio are essential in the battle for the 270 electoral college votes required for obtaining the presidency. This may be one more reason why President Trump showed up to meet his supporters just 11 days after testing positive with the new coronavirus.
What did Mr. Trump say at the rally?
Re-invigorated and seemingly full of energy, President Donald Trump seems to have returned to the previous statements that gained him such a broad audience.
Some of the latest achievements praised by Mr. Trump involved the latest stock market growth and the establishment of the U.S. Space Force.
He went on to question his opponent’s mental acuity as well as uncovering future plans to prolong shutdowns supported by the Democratic Party.
At some point, Mr. President also mentioned his own recovery from COVID-19 by saying:
“They say I’m immune – I feel so powerful. I’ll walk in there and kiss everyone. I’ll kiss the guys and the beautiful women, I’ll give you a big, fat kiss.”
Supporters’ reaction
Hundreds of faithful supporters gathered in the open-air space chanting ‘Four more years!’ as Mr. Trump made his appearance.
The rally seems to have been very well organized in terms of coronavirus safety. Every participant had their temperature checked at the entrance. Although everyone was offered face masks, many attendants didn’t use any coverings, nor they maintained the recommended social distance of 6 feet or more.
This behavior is surprising to say the least, considering that Florida is one of the most affected states with more than 15,000 COVID-related deaths.
Presidential candidate Joe Biden is expected to arrive in Florida on Tuesday. By comparison, his team has a different strategy that focuses more on carrying out a quieter campaign in suburban areas.
Why does Florida matter so much?
The fact that Mr. Trump made his rally return in Florida is no accident.
First of all, Donald Trump needs Florida because losing this key state would decrease his chances of returning to the White House tremendously. The Sunshine State is one of the six U.S. states with the largest number of electoral college votes, having 29 of the total number of 538.
Secondly, the current president may also want to win Florida. Although he is born and raised in New York, Mr. Trump decided to move to Florida in September 2019.
At the 2016 elections, Mr. Trump barely carried Florida in the battle for the White House against his then-opponent, Hilary Clinton.
This week, Mr. Trump is expected to attend rallies in other key areas of the country including Pennsylvania (20 electoral college votes), North Carolina (15) and Iowa (6).
Meanwhile, Mr. Biden appeared twice in Ohio this Monday – another key state in the battle for Presidency. Among other statements, the 77-year-old also criticized his opponent’s approach by saying it promotes a reckless behavior and causing mass fear.
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