Donald Trump’s positive coronavirus diagnosis will prevent him from campaigning in several key swing states, almost certainly nixing a Saturday swing in Wisconsin and a two-day push through Arizona that was planned for next week.
The president was scheduled to hold a campaign rally Friday evening in Sanford, Florida, where Trayvon Martin was shot and killed. The Trump campaign has not announced any changes to his schedule, but the White House did issue an update of his public schedule that removed the planned travel.
The Sunshine State stop was key because of Florida’s haul of 29 Electoral College votes and the state of the race there: Former Vice President Joe Biden leads, but by just over 1 percentage point, according to RealClearPolitics’ average of surveys conducted there.
By likely missing those rallies, Mr Trump would not spend time firing up his loyalists in states that have a combined 50 electoral votes as he tries piecing together states to reach the 270 needed to secure a second term.
The White House physician said in a memo that the president and First Lady Melania Trump, who also tested positive, are quarantining in the White House residence. The Covid convalescent period typically is 14 days.
That would take Mr Trump off the campaign trail as he is behind nationally be double digits in some polls, and down by over 5 points in a list of key battleground states like Wisconsin, Michigan, Pennsylvania, New Hampshire and Nevada.
Mr Trump either leads or is within three percentage points in just enough key swing states to show Election Night could become Election Month: Arizona, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, Texas, Georgia and Iowa.
Of those, he has visited Iowa just two times this year and Georgia three times.
The president has touched down on Air Force One four times each, respectively, in Nevada, Texas and Ohio. He has been to Arizona and Wisconsin five times each.
