President Trump’s campaign is suspending all live fundraisers and rallies due to the risk of the coronavirus.
The campaign will instead lean on its digital platforms, holding virtual events and leaning on high-profile supporters.
The shift marks a departure from Trump’s assurances less than two weeks ago, when, in spite of growing concerns over the coronavirus, Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago that he had no intention of slowing his appearances down. “We’ll hold tremendous rallies,” he said at the time, before joining a working dinner with Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, whose aide later tested positive for COVID-19.
Just last week, some supporters were invited to join an April 1 New York reelection fundraiser with the president’s eldest daughter and senior adviser, Ivanka Trump.
Since beginning his run for reelection, Trump and his close associates have raised tens of millions of dollars at high-dollar fundraising events across the country. Last month, Trump, the RNC, and the joint fundraising committee Trump Victory took in a combined $86 million dollars.
In a statement on Thursday, Trump campaign communications director Tim Murtaugh touted the team’s “unmatched data and digital operation,” which he said made it “uniquely” able to engage online.
“As it is, we are in an incredibly strong position,” Murtaugh said. “While we are temporarily suspending in-person fundraising events, we will still be able to gather support from Americans who fully support President Trump, his accomplishments, and his leadership.”
The campaign is confident that the decision to halt in-person fundraisers won’t dampen its prospects in the general election. The campaign has looked to engage vast numbers of its supporters as organizers. And, last month, campaign manager Brad Parscale announced plans to mobilize an “army” of engaged Trump fans to register voters online, make phone calls, and more. “It’s time to become digital activists and fight,” Parscale said at the time.
The United States is reporting more than 11,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and 157 deaths, according to the latest data from Johns Hopkins University.
The Trump campaign did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
