President Donald Trump was criticized Monday for having a campaign rally in March while the coronavirus was spreading in the United States. Former Vice President Joe Biden had eight campaign events in the same month.
The president’s March rally took place in Charlotte, North Carolina, but Biden’s rallies were in future coronavirus hot spots such as Detroit, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles.
The Trump campaign called out PBS reporter Yamiche Alcindor who criticized the president during the White House press briefing for having a campaign rally on March 2.
“You held rallies in February and March,” she said to Trump, accusing the president of “rhetoric” that misled Americans. “You held a rally in March.”
“Did I hold a rally?” Trump asked and added sarcastically. “I’m sorry, I held a rally.”
The dates of Joe Biden’s campaign rallies during March were 3/2 in Houston and Dallas; 3/3 in Los Angeles; 3/7 in St. Louis and Kansas City; 3/9 in Grand Rapids and Detroit; and 3/10 in Philadelphia.
Biden’s rally in Detroit was held with Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Sen. Cory Booker, and Sen. Kamala Harris, who endorsed his campaign.
Alcindor told Trump that she interviewed someone whose family went to a funeral in mid-March and “his family members were sick” because they were listening to the president.
“And a lot of people love Trump, right?” Trump replied. “A lot of people love me. I see them all the time. I guess I’m here for a reason. To the best of my knowledge, I won. And I think we’re going to win again.”
Trump recalled that he had already placed a travel ban on China to keep the coronavirus out of the United States before any Americans even died from the virus.
“How could you say I wasn’t taking it seriously?” he asked.