Trump seeks crowds who flout virus controls while Biden sticks to small events in cautious regard for infection risks. North Carolina caps outdoor gatherings at 50 people to prevent the spread of the novel coronavirus, but do not tell that to President Donald Trump. He basked in a largely mask-less crowd of several thousand supporters during a campaign rally in the state, which is set to be critical to the upcoming US election.
“As far as the eye can see,” Trump said, revelling at the sight of people flouting public health guidelines at Tuesday’s event. “I really believe that these crowds are bigger than they were four years ago.”
A day earlier in Pennsylvania, Trump’s Democratic challenger, Joe Biden, held a meeting in a backyard ensuring social distancing. His team has been so attentive to local regulations that some staffers have left the room if they risked breaking the rules on crowd limits. “I really miss being able to, you know, grab hands and shake hands,” Biden recently told supporters. “You can’t do that now.”With less than eight weeks until the November 3 election, Trump and Biden are taking diametrically opposite approaches to campaigning amid a pandemic – and the differences amount to more than political theatre. The candidates are effectively staking out different visions for the country. Biden emphasises guidelines supported by local health officials, while Trump rails against restrictions that he argues, without evidence, are politically motivated.
“By the way, your state should be open,” the president said in North Carolina, where he has feuded with Democratic Governor Roy Cooper over Trump’s abandoned plans to hold the Republican National Convention in Charlotte.“It’s you, it’s Michigan, it’s a couple others,” Trump added, as he sees a line of attack in pivotal states run by Democrats.
Source: aljazeera.com
Thursday, May 7, 2026
