Trump says to restart rallies in Oklahoma, Florida, Arizona, North Carolina

[WASHINGTON] US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he will launch rallies soon in four states, including the battleground of Florida, signalling a rapid restart to his election campaign after it was stalled by the coronavirus pandemic.

Mr Trump said he'll start in Oklahoma on Friday next week, before heading to Florida, Arizona and North Carolina.

"We're going to be starting our rallies. We believe the first one will probably be ... in Oklahoma, Tulsa, Oklahoma. Beautiful new venue, brand new. They're looking forward to it. They've done a great job with Covid, as you know," he told reporters at the White House.

"They're all going to be big."

Raucous rallies have been a hallmark of Mr Trump's presidency and a key to energising his base, which he hopes will turn out in big numbers on November 3. He is currently lagging in the polls against Democrat Joe Biden.

Job approval for the president is also down after his response to the coronavirus pandemic and the recent turmoil over police brutality, sparked by the death of an unarmed black man during his arrest in Minneapolis.

Although the coronavirus remains a threat, his campaign now feels that the crowds at daily street protests have lifted the political pressure on Mr Trump to avoid large gatherings of his own.

Mr Trump's campaign has so far not detailed how it will respect health precautions in an arena setting.

AFP