Trump cancels Nevada, Colorado, Wisconsin campaign events as coronavirus spreads
President Donald Trump late Wednesday canceled campaign events in Colorado, Nevada and Wisconsin as coronavirus infections spread across the country.
“Out of an abundance of caution from the Coronavirus outbreak, the President has decided to cancel his upcoming events in Colorado and Nevada,” White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said in a statement.
Tim Murtaugh, director of communications for the Trump reelection campaign, later tweeted that Trump would also not make it to a Catholics for Trump event on March 19 in Milwaukee. Murtaugh cited an “abundance of caution because of the coronavirus outbreak,“ and said that it would be rescheduled.
Trump had previously opted against canceling his campaign tour as he tried to assure the nation that the outbreak was not a catastrophic emergency, though his rally schedule had remained empty for several days. The president was due to leave Thursday.
Both Joe Biden and Bernie Sanders, meanwhile, canceled events on Tuesday, the night of the Mini-Tuesday primaries in six states. The Democratic National Committee also announced that its March 15 debate in Arizona would not have a live audience, citing health concerns. Biden also canceled two fundraisers and a rally in Chicago out of health concerns, just days before the Illinois primary.
Trump canceled an appearance at the Republican Jewish Coalition’s annual leadership meeting in Las Vegas and a fundraising luncheon with Colorado Sen. Cory Gardner in Denver.
The announcement came shortly after Trump addressed the nation from the Oval Office on Wednesday night, introducing sweeping measures to fight off the spread of coronavirus, including suspending travel from the Schengen Area in Europe and offering economic assistance to help businesses weather the impact of coronavirus.
