(Bloomberg) —
President Donald Trump made his first public appearance on Saturday since returning from a three-day hospitalization for coronavirus, telling supporters at the White House that “through the power of American science and medicine, we will eradicate” the virus “once and for all.”
“Thank you all for the prayers,” Trump said from the Blue Room balcony at the White House to hundreds of invited guests at a campaign-style event on the South Lawn.
Trump arrived wearing a mask and removed it before speaking. Attendees appeared to be mostly masked but were standing close together with no suggestion of social distancing. Hand sanitizer stations and a medical tent were nearby.
Trump’s comments touched on several of his usual stump-speech topics, including suggestions of voter fraud. The remarks ran for about 18 minutes, much shorter than Trump’s typical freewheeling campaign speeches.
The appearance was designed to show the president —