President Trump is scheduled to hold his first public event since testing positive for COVID-19 a little over a week ago. He plans to speak from the South Lawn balcony on Saturday about “law and order,” in what the White House is calling a “peaceful protest” expected to draw hundreds of people.
Mr. Trump’s address comes two weeks after the president nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to the Supreme Court in the Rose Garden, a ceremony that Dr. Anthony Fauci described as a “super spreader” event. Several White House officials, including the president, tested positive for the virus after the ceremony, as well as some senators and other guests.
How to watch President Trump’s speech Saturday
- What: President Trump delivers his first in-person address since testing positive for COVID-19Date: Saturday, October 10, 2020Time: 2 p.m. ETLocation: South Lawn, White House, Washington, D.C.Online stream: Live on CBSN in the player above or on your mobile streaming device.
The event is coordinated with Candace Owens’ Blexit group and will be attended by conservative activists.
A source familiar with planning for the event told CBS News that 2,000 invitations had been issued. All attendees are required to bring a mask and will be instructed to wear it on the White House complex. All attendees must also complete a COVID-19 screening, consisting of a temperature check and brief questionnaire.
Fauci, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, told CBS News’ Steven Portnoy on Friday that the event at the White House two weeks ago shows how important it is to wear a mask.
“I think the — the data speaks for themselves,” Fauci said of mask-wearing. “We had a super-spreader event in the White House and it was in a situation where people were crowded together and were not wearing masks. So the data speak for themselves.”
Mr. Trump plans to resume campaign travel on Monday, 10 days after he announced his COVID-19 diagnosis. He tweeted that he’ll be in Sanford, Florida, for a “very BIG RALLY” on Monday.
Fin Gomez and Nicole Sganga contributed to this report.