Political campaigning is back, following a coronavirus-induced hiatus that dates back to early March.
President Trump has already resumed in-person fundraising, with his patented MAGA campaign rallies poised to follow. The Republican National Committee’s field staff is set to begin knocking on doors for the Trump-Pence ticket, and the party is moving toward a live convention, whether Democratic North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper likes it or not. Crowded Black Lives Matter protests are taking place in every major city, with the blessing of Democrats and some Republicans. Even presumptive Democratic nominee Joe Biden has emerged from his basement, most recently with an appearance in Philadelphia on Thursday.
“There is no better place than America’s Heartland to restart our Make America Great Again Rallies,” said Michael Glassner, chief operating officer of the Trump reelection campaign in an announcement of a June 19 event in Tulsa. “There’s no doubt that the Great American Comeback is here, and we are looking forward to the tremendous crowds and enthusiasm behind President Trump.”
The pandemic has receded somewhat for now, and even if it resurges, it will be difficult to put retail politics back in the lockdown box. Part of that is due to the fact that thousands have poured into the streets to protest the death of George Floyd, an unarmed black man, in Minneapolis police custody.
Public health experts have largely defended the lack of social distancing at these demonstrations, although face masks are fairly common. “While everyone is concerned about the risk of COVID, there are risks with just being black in this country that almost outweigh that sometimes,” Abby Hussein of the University of Washington, who specializes in infectious disease, told CNN. Some have signed letters similarly arguing that systemic racism is the greater public health threat. Elected officials have taken part in these protests, even where stay-at-home orders remain in place.
This has caused some to argue there is a double standard. Trump has been eager to get back on the campaign trail for weeks. “We’re going to start our rallies back up now,” he told reporters at the White House on Wednesday. “We’ve had a tremendous run at rallies. … It’s been an amazing thing to behold.” The president has also been pushing states to reopen their economies, though he has deferred to governors and his own expert advisers about the timing.
The lockdowns were already starting to become a partisan issue, with Republicans more supportive of easing restrictions on businesses and individuals than Democrats, though senior citizens — a previously Trump-friendly demographic especially at risk of the coronavirus — have expressed a desire for caution in some polling.
Trump has come under fire for hosting his first rally on Juneteenth, the date on which the Emancipation Proclamation was signed, in a city where a mob attacked and killed black people 99 years ago. “As the party of Lincoln, Republicans are proud of the history of Juneteenth, which is the anniversary of the last reading of the Emancipation Proclamation,” Trump campaign adviser Katrina Pierson said in a statement.
The Trump campaign also has rallies planned in Florida, North Carolina, and Arizona, all battleground states in the fall, as well as Texas, a traditionally red state public and private polling suggests is closer than usual.
“Nobody gets more juice out of rallies than [Trump] does,” said Republican strategist Scott Jennings.
While Biden has moved out to a solid lead in most national and battleground state polling since the quarantines have been in effect, Trump’s presence on the trail will put pressure on the 77-year-old former vice president to keep up. Biden’s last big, major in-person campaign rally was on March 9, and some of his virtual events have been plagued with glitches.
Social distancing is, to some extent, expected at these events, and people in close proximity to the president or Vice President Mike Pence will be subject to testing. “By clicking register below, you are acknowledging that an inherent risk of exposure to COVID-19 exists in any public place where people are present,” reads a disclaimer for the Tulsa rally, for which general admission attendees “voluntarily assume all risks.” There’s no mention of face masks or federal guidance. But the return of campaigning is going to be a test case for other large public events that have yet to resume, such as concerts and live spectator sports.
Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale has predicted “the kind of crowds and enthusiasm” for the president “that sleepy Joe Biden can only dream of.”
