#Trump getting back on trail Monday in Florida

President Trump’s reelection campaign on Friday announced the he will stage a post-COVID-19 comeback rally Monday north of Orlando, Fla.

The rally in suburban Sanford was originally planned for last Friday but was delayed after Trump’s Thursday night diagnosis with the coronavirus.

Trump “will deliver remarks at a Make America Great Again event in Sanford, Florida on Monday, October 12th, 2020 at 7:00 PM EDT,” his campaign said.

Trump’s grand return to the campaign trail ahead of the Nov. 3 election will follow an initial event Saturday at the White House, where he is expected to address a small crowd from the White House balcony.

The president is down in most polls to Democratic candidate Joe Biden and is seeking to rev up his supporters to pull off another upset victory, as he did four years ago.

Trump’s visit to the Orlando area highlights the importance of the large swing state to his electoral fortunes. Polls indicate he’s outperforming his 2016 standing among Latinos in Florida, but is at risk of losing support among seniors.

Since he was diagnosed with the virus, Trump this week picked up the endorsement of Puerto Rico Gov. Wanda Vázquez Garced. The territory has no say in the election, but Puerto Ricans are US citizens and many live near Orlando.

But Trump’s rally risks increased criticism of his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic. There often are large numbers of supporters crowded closely together, many without masks, at Trump rallies.

Trump is also seeking to pressure the Commission on Presidential Debates to host the second presidential debate as planned next Thursday in Miami. The commission said it would be a virtual debate following Trump’s diagnosis. He refused the format change.

Physician to the president Dr. Sean Conley said Thursday that Trump should be able to safely resume events Saturday — less than 10 days after his diagnosis.

Trump, 74, received experimental “polyclonal antibodies” and oxygen at the White House on Friday after being diagnosed with the virus Thursday.

Trump was hospitalized three nights at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., after arriving by helicopter Friday. Trump was discharged Monday.

At the hospital, he received doses of the antiviral drug remdesivir and the steroid dexamethasone.