Donald Trump says he is ready to resume campaign rallies

He doesn't believe he is contagious; may return to the trail as early as next Monday

The White House is where President Donald Trump is currently confined while being treated for Covid-19. Under pressure to actively campaign for his re-election, Mr Trump has said he does not believe he is contagious - but this claim has not yet been
The White House is where President Donald Trump is currently confined while being treated for Covid-19. Under pressure to actively campaign for his re-election, Mr Trump has said he does not believe he is contagious - but this claim has not yet been backed up by solid evidence from his doctors. PHOTO: AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Mr Trump spent three nights being treated at a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 last week, but was discharged on Monday.
Mr Trump spent three nights being treated at a military hospital after testing positive for Covid-19 last week, but was discharged on Monday. PHOTO: REUTERS

WASHINGTON • President Donald Trump, confined to the White House where he is being treated for Covid-19, has said he does not believe he is contagious and is feeling good enough to resume campaign rallies as he tries to boost his flagging re-election bid.

"I'm back because I'm a perfect physical specimen," he told Fox Business Network's Maria Bartiromo yesterday in his first interview since it was revealed nearly a week ago that he had tested positive for the coronavirus.

Mr Trump's contention he was no longer contagious was not yet backed up by solid evidence from his doctors. The White House has refused to say when his last negative test for the virus was and, as a result, it is unclear how long he has been positive.

The Republican President is under pressure to actively campaign again to try to inject new energy into his re-election bid as he faces a deficit in opinion polls in battleground states, with election day now less than four weeks away.

"I'm feeling good, really good," said Mr Trump, who spent three nights being treated at a military hospital outside Washington until his discharge on Monday. He said he had stopped taking "most therapeutics" for the virus but was still on steroids.

The President has faced criticism for underestimating the coronavirus, which has killed more than 210,000 Americans and thrown millions out of work. Even since revealing his own illness last week, he has downplayed the respiratory disease's dangers and been censured by social media platforms for spreading misinformation about it.

The Fox Business Network interview was conducted over the phone. Mr Trump himself has not been seen in public since he arrived back at the White House from the hospital on Monday night.

But he is aiming to return to the campaign trail with an event as early as next Monday in Pennsylvania, and trips to Michigan and Florida later in the week, according to people familiar with the matter.

It would be the first time he is travelling since he was diagnosed with the coronavirus on Oct 1.

The events are tentative at this point and the plans are subject to change, the sources said. The current plan would see Mr Trump travelling to Pennsylvania next Monday and Michigan next Tuesday.

He could possibly, next Friday, hold a campaign event in Miami where he was previously scheduled to have his second debate against Democrat nominee Joe Biden, the sources said.

Before Mr Trump was stricken with the coronavirus, his campaign's strategy relied heavily on his appearances in key swing states to stoke enthusiasm among his supporters, cull key voter data and dominate local news coverage, amounting to free advertising in those areas.

Mr Trump has been eager to demonstrate that he is back at work, but White House physician Sean Conley said on Monday that it is possible the President could be infectious for more than 10 days.

"The big first thing that we need to do is make sure that there is no evidence of live virus still present that he could possibly transmit to others," Dr Conley told reporters who asked when Mr Trump could return to the campaign trail.

REUTERS, NYTIMES, BLOOMBERG

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on October 09, 2020, with the headline Donald Trump says he is ready to resume campaign rallies. Subscribe