Amid virus fears, Trump moves away from rallies — for now

President Donald Trump said Thursday he is temporarily halting his tremark rallies — as his campaign bows to coronavirus outbreak that is rapidly reshaping nation’s political landscape.

rallies have long been Trump’s most potent political weapon: y energize candidate, give him a powerful platform from which to attack his versaries and allow his team to collect a treasure trove of voter data.

But spre of virus, which has closed schools and shuttered professional sports leagues, has also touched 2020 presidential campaign. two leing Democratic contenders, Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, canceled ir scheduled rallies earlier this week.

president’s reelection team reluctantly followed suit, with Trump saying Thursday that multiple events that were in works are being postponed.

“We h about three of m in Neva, actually. And we h four or five of m of m that we were thinking about,” Trump said at White House.

president’s campaign has suspended all rallies, events and fundraisers for at least next week, according to officials. Trump was slated to fly west Thursday night for events in Neva and Coloro, a trip that was canceled after his Oval Office dress to nation on Wednesday night about severity of coronavirus outbreak.

Campaign officials met Thursday to work out a plan for how to proceed while virus makes tritional campaigning ill-vised, especially considering higher risk it presents to older voters, many of whom support president. Options under consideration include virtual town halls and conference calls for supporters.

tentative western itinerary included a rally and fundraisers in each state — including one in Coloro benefiting Republican Sen. Cory Gardner — as well as a previously anunced stop at Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual conference in Las Vegas, hosted by GOP megor Sheldon elson.

Trump said in Oval Office on Thursday that he would hold Gardner event “here,” which would have been a violation of Hatch Act preventing political activity at White House. A White House spokesman said later president was t referring to a fundraiser but rar a roundtable on Land and Water Conservation Fund, an official government event that h t previously been anunced.

Trump refused to rule out a rapid return to rallies, even though government’s own health experts have vised against large garings of people. Events with comparable-sized crowds, like NBA and NHL games, have been postponed indefinitely.

campaign h previously been eyeing, but h t yet anunced, a rally in Tampa, Florida, on March 25. Trump said he would be “making a decision at appropriate time” on wher to hold that one, ding that he would “probably t do it because people would say that it’s better t to do. You kw, we need a little separation until such time as this goes away. It’s going to go away.”

“I’m t going to do it if I think it’s going to be negative at all,” president said. “I don’t want people dying.”

For most people, new coronavirus causes only mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. For some, especially older ults and people with existing health problems, it can cause more severe illness, including pneumonia.

vast majority of people recover from new virus. According to World Health Organization, people with mild illness recover in about two weeks, while those with more severe illness may take three to six weeks to recover.

Trump claimed that more than 100,000 people h requested tickets for Tampa rally, an impossibility since campaign h t yet anunced event or me tickets available. A campaign spokesman declined to comment.

campaign also canceled a “Catholics for Trump” coalition event that h been scheduled for Milwaukee next week. Vice President Mike Pence also planned to stop all campaign activity for two weeks, a White House official said. But campaign’s social media and text accounts sent out tes to supporters praising president’s “aggressive and comprehensive” effort to stop virus spre.

Increasingly focused on his campaign, Trump h pushed aides up until this week to continue scheduling huge rallies. He h hoped to use m to blunt momentum of his likely general election foe, Biden, who offers himself as someone better positioned to respond to coronavirus.

Standing in front of a backdrop meant to look presidential, Biden delivered a speech about virus on Thursday and anunced a virtual town hall with Illiis voters following day.