Trump pressed ahead Saturday with a comeback rally amid a pandemic by declaring 'the silent majority is stronger than ever before,' but what was meant to be a show of political force was instead met with empty seats and new coronavirus cases in his staff
President Donald Trump pressed ahead Saturday with a comeback rally amid an pandemic by declaring "the silent majority is stronger than ever before," but what was meant to be a show of political force was instead met with thousands of empty seats and new coronavirus cases on his campaign staff.
News of the infections came just a short time before Trump departed for Oklahoma, and the president raged to aides that it was made public, according to two White House and campaign officials who spoke on condition of anonymity because they weren't authorized to speak publicly about private conversations.
The president's campaign tried to point fingers elsewhere, but the protests outside the arena, which also were smaller than expected, remain largely peaceful in the hours before the event. It's been more than three months since the nation last saw a Trump rally. The unemployment rate stood at about 3.5 percent that March 2. The number of coronavirus cases in the U.S. was estimated at 91.
Trump's visit also raised fears of clashes between protesters and Trump supporters, and there were brief confrontations Saturday afternoon. But the crowds were not materializing despite the president's bravado. The campaign said it would hand out masks and hand sanitizer, but there was no requirement that participants use them. Participants were also to undergo a temperature check.
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