NEW YORK — President Donald Trump said Thursday that he is temporarily halting his trademark rallies — as his campaign bows to the coronavirus outbreak that is rapidly reshaping the nation’s political landscape.
The rallies have long been Trump’s most potent political weapon: They energize the candidate, give him a powerful platform from which to attack his adversaries and allow his team to collect a treasure trove of voter data.
But the spread of the virus, which has closed schools and shuttered professional sports leagues, has also touched the 2020 presidential campaign.
The president’s reelection team reluctantly followed suit, with Trump saying Thursday that multiple events that were in the works are being postponed.
“We had about three of them in Nevada, actually. And we had four or five of them of them that we were thinking about,” Trump said at the White House.
The president’s campaign has suspended all rallies, events and fundraisers for at least the next week, according to officials. Trump was slated to fly west on Thursday night for events in Nevada and Colorado, a trip that was canceled after his Oval Office address to the nation on Wednesday night about the severity of the coronavirus outbreak.
Campaign officials conferred Thursday to work out a plan for how to proceed while the virus makes traditional campaigning ill-advised, especially considering the higher risk it presents to older voters, many of whom support the president. Options under consideration include virtual town halls and conference calls for supporters.
The tentative Western itinerary included a rally and fundraisers in each state — including one in Colorado benefiting Republican Sen. Cory Gardner — as well as a previously announced stop at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual conference in Las Vegas.
