The Trump campaign on Sunday took a small step toward attempting to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at one of President Donald Trump’s upcoming rallies.
In its announcement of an outdoor rally scheduled for Saturday at Portsmouth International Airport in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, the campaign urged supporters to wear masks at the event.
“There will be ample access to hand sanitizer and all attendees will be provided a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear,” the campaign stated in its announcement.
The recommendation marks a modest increase in the Trump campaign’s virtually nonexistent protective measures against the virus. Barely any supporters wore masks at Trump’s last rally in Phoenix, Arizona, less than two weeks ago, nor did the campaign hold temperature checks as it had promised prior to the event.
The President himself has infamously eschewed health officials’ recommendation to wear facial coverings when out in public. He has also falsely claimed on numerous occasions that the virus is “going away.”
It is unclear whether Trump will wear a mask at his upcoming rally in Portsmouth. The campaign did not immediately respond to TPM’s query.
As with previous rallies, the event’s registration page requires attendees to agree to not hold the Trump campaign legally responsible if they become infected with COVID-19.
Peer pressure will win out. If 10% of rally attendees wear masks I’ll be surprised. No one wants to be an effete Communist sympathizer.
I am so surprised that they haven’t created MAGA masks to make money off of this.
About time…
I’m sick to my stomach that the orange menace, and his sycophants, are coming so close to my state. The Gov of NH is a spineless one, and won’t do anything so drastic as to mandate masks or chuck the whole lot of them out of here. The majority of attendees will be from out of the area, bringing their droplets here.
But I should be thankful we are not FL or TX?
Too little, too late. If Trump were serious about containing the virus, he’d cancel all his rallies and tell the states with exploding case loads to go back into lockdown.