Trump meets crowd at White House ahead of Florida meeting

Nine days after being tested positive for COVID-19, US President Donald Trump is speaking to several hundred of his supporters in the White House on Saturday, hoping to relaunch his campaign within four weeks of election.

If he repeats that he feels “very well”, his state of health remains shrouded in a certain mystery as the communication of his doctor Sean Conley – he seems especially eager to please his famous patient – has been opaque and not very rigorous.

“I have not taken any more medication for about eight hours,” assured the tenant of the White House on Friday evening, during his first filmed interview, broadcast on Fox News.

For months, at the instigation of a president who sometimes mocked the wearing of a mask, the advisers of the White House hardly ever wore one within the famous “West Wing”.

The tone has changed since the news of Donald and Melania Trump’s positive tests. According to a source close to the organization of Saturday’s event, all guests will be required to wear one.

It is precisely a rally at the White House two weeks ago, to announce the appointment of a conservative judge to the Supreme Court, who was pointed out as responsible for many contaminations detected since.

This day was obviously a “super-propagator” event, judged immunologist Anthony Fauci, director of the American Institute of Infectious Diseases, and a highly respected figure in the United States.

Many questions remain unanswered about this wave of infections that has affected many of the president’s close associates, including his spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany.

“When was the president’s last negative Covid test? Asked Pete Buttigieg, former candidate in the Democratic primaries against Joe Biden, whose name is regularly cited for a leading position if Donald Trump is defeated on November 3.

213,000 Americans have died

“More than 213,000 Americans have died from this virus, and the harsh reality is that it could have been avoided,” Joe Biden tweeted Saturday.

The former vice-president of Barack Obama, who is now nearly ten points ahead in national polls and has also consolidated his advantage in voting intentions at the level of the decisive states for the election, continues his campaign at his pace.

In the Republican camp, the concern is more and more palpable. Some tenors are openly alarmed by the development of the campaign.

“If on election day people are angry (…), we could lose the White House, and both houses of Congress (…), it could be a bloodbath” warned Republican Senator Ted Cruz.

Donald Trump, he goes on repeating that the polls are wrong and does not hide his impatience to leave Washington and resume meetings.

Hogan Gidley, spokesperson for his campaign, insisted Saturday on Fox News on his willingness to speak “directly to Americans, without the filter of the media”.

“We will be announcing other events,” he promised. “The president wants to go into the field.”