Getty Senator Bernie Sanders, Independent of Vermont, speaks at George Washington University in Washington, D.C., on September 24, 2020. How many people were at Sanders' Biden rally in New Hampshire?
Bernie Sanders led a socially distanced rally for Joe Biden on Saturday, October 3, in New Hampshire. It’s the first in a number of in-person rallies that he plans to hold for the Biden-Kamala Harris campaign. Here’s a look at crowd photos and how many attended Sanders’ first rally for Biden in Lebanon, New Hampshire.
To see photos from Sanders’ two rallies in Michigan on Monday, see Heavy’s story here.
Sanders Said They Limited How Many Could Attend the Event in Order to Enforce Social Distancing
Before the event, NBC Boston reported that attendance would be capped in order to keep the crowd smaller, and people would be required to social distance.
According to Fox News, Sanders said about the event: “Maybe some Republicans will make fun of us for this event. We limited attendance. We, as you can see, spaced out. No one was let in without wearing a mask. That’s what we believe. And I think we’re right on that.”
Gary Grumbach of NBC News estimated that about 60 people were at the event.
Sanders talked about the difference between Biden’s campaign style and President Donald Trump’s. Trump was at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center being treated for COVID-19. Trump hosted a rally on Wednesday, September 30, and his aide Hope Hicks began showing symptoms during the event. The next day, Hicks was diagnosed with coronavirus and Trump tested positive himself a few hours later.
The New Hampshire Democratic Party shared this photo from the event:
Adam Sexton of WMUR 9 shared this photo from the event:
Donnie J. Spencer, grassroots director for New Hampshire Democrats, shared this photo of the socially distanced group:
Donald Stokes, New Hampshire political director for Joe Biden’s campaign, shared this photo on Twitter:
During his speech, Sanders talked about Trump downplaying the virus and said the economy won’t be fixed until the pandemic is properly addressed.
Rob DiRienzo of Fox News reported that while Biden won’t attack Trump while he is at Walter Reed, Sanders did not make the same promise. He said that Trump had gone to war against scientists and didn’t respect social distancing or masks.
DiRienzo shared these photos of the crowd at the event:
Sanders said during his speech: “We are living, in my view, in the most dangerous moment in the modern history of this country. There is no doubt in my mind that Joe Biden will be a much better president than has been Donald Trump.”
Andre Pagliarini, a lecturer at Dartmouth, shared this photo from the event on Twitter:
He said that Sanders was “delightful” at the event.
In an interview with WMUR, Sanders said that Trump’s diagnosis is a wake-up call for everyone. “We certainly wish the president and first lady a full and speedy recovery, but it does tell us this horrible, horrible pandemic can hit anybody,” he said.
Sanders Has More Events Planned in the Near Future
Sanders will visit Ann Arbor, Michigan, on Monday, October 5, in support of the Biden-Harris campaign. He will speak to college students at 1:30 p.m. in a live stream, according to a press release about the event, M Live reported.
Sanders will also be speaking at a car rally at 5 p.m. in Macomb County on Monday.