Trump Claims He’s Not Subject To State Laws Limiting Indoor Events Over Coronavirus
by Andrew SolenderTopline
President Trump said he is not subject to state restrictions on in-person gatherings and is “not at all concerned” about contracting coronavirus at an indoor rally amid renewed criticism that his response to the virus has been defined by complacency and concerns over his renewal of indoor rallies.
Key Facts
Trump held an indoor rally in Henderson, Nevada on Sunday with an attendance well-beyond the state’s restrictions on indoor gatherings of more than 50 people, which Gov. Steve Sisolak called, “an insult to every Nevadan who has followed the directives.”
The venue, construction equipment-maker Xtreme Manufacturing, was threatened with punitive action by the City of Henderson including fines of $500 per violation and the suspension or revocation of the firm’s business license.
But Trump claimed in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he is not subject to Nevada’s directive capping attendance at indoor events and claimed incorrectly that Sisolak, a Democrat, “canceled six different sites” that Trump wanted to use for his rally.
Trump said he is “not at all concerned” about contracting coronavirus at his indoor rallies, despite the lack of masks and social distancing at events like his Henderson rally, because “I’m on a stage and it’s very far away.”
Trump has long been criticized for an overly confident attitude towards the virus that has claimed the lives of nearly 200,000 Americans, with renewed scrutiny in the wake of revelations that Trump knew of the virus’ severity in February and sought to “play it down.”
But Trump has been publicly optimistic about the virus even as it continues to ravage the nation – with 807 new deaths and 40,423 new cases reported by the CDC on Sunday – telling supporters in Nevada on Sunday, “We're making that turn. We're making that round, beautiful last turn."
Chief Critic
“Every rally turned superspreader event Donald Trump decides to hold serves as another reminder to Americans that Trump still refuses to take this pandemic seriously and still doesn’t have a plan to stop it,” Biden campaign spokesperson Michael Gwin told Forbes. Gwin added that Biden “believes in leading by example,” and has done so by “listening to the experts” and “acting in a responsible manner.” The Biden campaign has been diligent in capping attendance and maintaining social distancing at its events.
Big Number
6,000. That's the number of people who showed up to the Henderson rally, Trump claimed to the Review-Journal, even as Nevada reported 357 new cases on Sunday.
Tangent
Trump’s choice to do his only local interview in Nevada with the Review-Journal may not be a random one. The paper is owned by billionaire casino mogul Sheldon Adelson, one of Trump and the GOP’s top megadonors who gave a max donation to Trump’s joint fundraising committee in February.
What To Watch For
As the campaign moves into the fall, Trump appears dead-set on restarting packed, indoor rallies, but appears to have little inclination to take strict measures to prevent the spread of the virus. That may turn the Trump campaign into a traveling health risk, as Trump’s last indoor event – his June rally in Tulsa, Oklahoma – was linked by local health officials to a regional spike of the virus.