Getty President Donald Trump walks to Marine One on the South Lawn of the White House on October 1, 2020 in Washington, DC. His rally on October 2 was canceled but he may host virtual rallies in the future.
President Donald Trump was supposed to have a rally in Orlando, Florida tonight, but last night he was diagnosed with COVID-19. The event was supposed to take place at 7 p.m., but the Florida rally and other rallies have been canceled. The latest news from local media reflects that Trump is likely not having a virtual rally tonight, despite a live countdown from one source on YouTube. However, there may be virtual rallies planned in the future.
Here’s what you need to know.
Trump’s Campaign Told Fox 35 That a Rally Was Not Happening After a Local Reporter Said It Was
Fox 35 reported from the location where the rally was going to take place and shared that he might be having a virtual rally instead. However, Fox 35 later reported online that the virtual rally is not happening.
The original report is still uploaded on the News Now from Fox channel on YouTube.
“We have learned now that the remarks, the event is still on but it will be a virtual rally,” the reporter from Fox 35 announced. “And the President will make remarks tonight at 7:00, presumably from the White House as he continues to battle COVID-19. So folks are getting those emails to sign up for that virtual event that is still set to take place tonight at 7:00.”
You can watch the announcement in the video below.
However, Fox 35 reported on its website, after the above video was made, that Trump would not be having a virtual rally. The update, posted here around 3:35 p.m. Eastern, reads:
Earlier in the day, ABC News reported that Bill Stepien, Trump’s 2020 Campaign Manager, had said in a statement: “all previously announced campaign events involving the President’s participation are in the process of being moved to virtual events or are being temporarily postponed.”
So it looks like, although Trump’s in-person rally today is canceled, but virtual events are on the plans for the future, with dates and times to be announced.
Stepien’s statement continued: “In addition, previously announced events involving members of the First Family are also being temporarily postponed. All other campaign events will be considered on a case-by-case basis and we will make any relevant announcements in the days ahead.”
Trump had a number of events scheduled in the near future.
On Friday, October 2, Trump was hosting a Make America Great Again event in Sanford, Florida, starting at 7 p.m. Eastern time. On Saturday, October 3, he was hosting a Make America Great Again event in La Crosse, Wisconsin. The event was supposed to start at 3:30 p.m. Central time, with doors opening at 12:30 p.m. Then at 6 p.m. Central time, Trump was hosting another event in Green Bay, Wisconsin.