POST-COVID CONFAB

Trump to Hold In-Person White House Event on Saturday, His First Since Coronavirus Diagnosis

The president is hoping hundreds of people congregate on the South Lawn.

President Donald Trump is planning an in-person event at the White House for Saturday, according to multiple reports. The gathering, which he reportedly hopes will draw hundreds of people, is set to take place on the South Lawn, and Trump plans to make “remarks to peaceful protesters for law and order” from the White House’s balcony, according to ABC. According to multiple reports, the event was coordinated with Candace Owens’ group, Blexit, which is said to be requiring mask-wearing and temperature checks. Trump had earlier planned to travel to Florida Saturday for a campaign rally. Instead, he’ll head to Sanford, Florida, for a campaign event on Monday evening, his team also announced Friday.

Trump’s physician, Dr. Sean Conley, cleared the commander in chief to return to public engagements Saturday. The president was diagnosed with COVID-19 last Wednesday, though the disclosure of his illness has been mired in obfuscation. Despite Conley’s approval of the president’s reemergence, it is still unclear when Trump was last tested for the novel coronavirus and whether he tested negative. The White House has become the site of a COVID-19 outbreak, with nearly three dozen cases linked to events that took place there in recent weeks.