President Donald Trump held a rally at the Prescott Regional Airport on Monday, drawing enthusiastic supporters along with Arizona Governor Doug Ducey. It marked the president’s first appearance in the state since his recovery from COVID-19.
The president — who chose not to wear a mask — told those in attendance that the pandemic was winding down. But in Arizona, health officials are counting hundreds of new COVID-19 cases each day.
He also congratulated Arizona Governor Doug Ducey on the state’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic, despite the recent rise in cases across the state.
“By the way,” Trump said, “you have, you have a great governor, the way he did it. You have a great governor.”
While Trump has asserted that the country is rounding a corner with the coronavirus, Arizona health officials have reported a slow rise in the average number of daily cases in recent weeks. On Tuesday, October 20, health officials reported more than 1,000 new cases in the state, along with seven deaths related to the pandemic.
Trump has agreed to a final presidential debate with candidate Joe Biden on Thursday night; the COVID-19 pandemic is a confirmed topic of discussion.
