Whether the situation on the ground there helps him is an open question; the state still has a mask requirement in place, and many businesses — including bars and movie theaters — remain closed.
But the President did not wear a mask during his speech in Winston-Salem.
And while many supporters visible in stands directly behind Trump were wearing masks, most individuals higher up on the stands away from Trump and most supporters on the ground in front of Trump’s podium were not sporting masks.
As the campaign enters its heated final months, Trump is betting an imminent coronavirus vaccine and a rebounding economy will provide an eleventh-hour boost to his flagging reelection effort.
He has begun accelerating his public timeline on a potential Covid vaccine, saying Monday one might be available “very soon, maybe even before a very special date” — a reference to Election Day.❏
