How coronavirus has reshaped Trump's economy-driven, rally-heavy re-election campaign
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
You are now subscribed
Your newsletter sign-up was successful
President Trump's biggest re-election strengths have gone the way of eat-in restaurants and economic stability as a whole.
When 2020 first rolled around, Trump's re-election campaign seemed to have a clear path forward. He'd keep holding massive rallies around the country where he'd tear apart his rivals and the media at large, and promise to keep growing the already sky-high economy. But the COVID-19 pandemic has ended both of those prospects, and so the Trump campaign machine has moved to duplicate that energy in other ways, ABC News reports.
Trump hasn't had an arena-filling rally in at least a month, replacing those frequent speeches with daily coronavirus addresses from the White House briefing room. And while Trump has mostly stayed tame with top coronavirus doctor Anthony Fauci by his side, the president has slipped to attack media members still present in the audience, doubt Democratic governors asking for ventilators, and repeat a few conspiracy theories. All of that content wouldn't be unusual at one of Trump's rallies.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
On a more formal note, the Trump campaign has adapted to its rally-free reality by breaking out the phone lines. Campaign staffers call voters to praise Trump and his coronavirus response, but also throw in health checks and provide information about the pandemic. Read more about the new Trump campaign at ABC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
Is the US in a hiring recession?Today's Big Question The economy is growing. Job openings are not.
-
How to juggle saving and paying off debtthe explainer Putting money aside while also considering what you owe to others can be a tricky balancing act
-
Hong Kong jails democracy advocate Jimmy LaiSpeed Read The former media tycoon was sentenced to 20 years in prison
-
Japan’s Takaichi cements power with snap election winSpeed Read President Donald Trump congratulated the conservative prime minister
-
Trump sues IRS for $10B over tax record leaksSpeed Read The president is claiming ‘reputational and financial harm’ from leaks of his tax information between 2018 and 2020
-
Trump, Senate Democrats reach DHS funding dealSpeed Read The deal will fund most of the government through September and the Department of Homeland Security for two weeks
-
Fed holds rates steady, bucking Trump pressureSpeed Read The Federal Reserve voted to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged
-
Judge slams ICE violations amid growing backlashSpeed Read ‘ICE is not a law unto itself,’ said a federal judge after the agency violated at least 96 court orders
-
Rep. Ilhan Omar attacked with unknown liquidSpeed Read This ‘small agitator isn’t going to intimidate me from doing my work’
-
Democrats pledge Noem impeachment if not firedSpeed Read Trump is publicly defending the Homeland Security secretary
-
The billionaires’ wealth tax: a catastrophe for California?Talking Point Peter Thiel and Larry Page preparing to change state residency
