Trump to hold campaign rally in Portsmouth, N.H., as several states report jump in coronavirus cases

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump is returning to the campaign trail amid a spike in coronavirus cases across the country.

Trump’s campaign announced Sunday it will hold a Make America Great Again rally Saturday in Portsmouth, N.H. The outdoor event will be held at Portsmouth International Airport, the campaign said.

"We look forward to so many freedom-loving patriots coming to the rally and celebrating America, the greatest country in the history of the world,” campaign spokesman Hogan Gidley said in a statement.

There will be “ample access to hand sanitizer” at the event, the announcement said, “and all attendees will be provided a face mask that they are strongly encouraged to wear.”

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The event will be the campaign’s first official rally since June 20, when Trump spoke to a half-empty arena in Tulsa, Okla. Eight of his campaign staffers at that event tested positive for coronavirus, and at least three Secret Service personnel working on the advance team for that rally also tested positive.

Herman Cain, a GOP candidate for president in 2012, attended the Tulsa rally and was hospitalized last week for coronavirus.

A number of states have pulled back on their plans to reopen following a surge in coronavirus cases across the country. Several states, including Texas, Florida, Tennessee and North Carolina, recorded daily records of new coronavirus cases over the past week.

New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu lifted a 14-day quarantine mandate for all visitors from New England states last Thursday but said that visitors from other states will still be asked to quarantine for two weeks.

For the past three weeks, the state’s positive test rate for coronavirus has remained below the 5% threshold recommended by the World Health Organization.

Michael Collins covers the White House. Reach him on Twitter @mcollinsNEWS.

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