Commentators rip Trump for jokingly offering ‘big fat kiss’ to rallygoers after COVID-19 battle

Getty Images

Several political writers and commentators ripped President Trump for jokingly offering to give rallygoers in Florida “a big fat kiss” less than two weeks after testing positive for COVID-19.

The president’s rally in Sanford, Fla., his first on the campaign trail since September, comes with the election just three weeks away.

Some journalists and commentators took to Twitter to scold the president for what they said was reckless messaging that made light of the coronavirus.

The White House told The Hill in a statement that the president takes the health and safety of those who work in support of him “very seriously” while following CDC guidelines for “limiting COVID-19 exposure.”

“White House Operations collaborates with the Physician to the President and the White House Military Office to ensure all plans and procedures incorporate current CDC guidance and best practices for limiting COVID-19 exposure to the greatest extent possible when the President is traveling,” a White House spokesman said. “The White House Press Office and the White House Correspondents Association have also been in regular discussions to ensure that all those traveling in the protective pool feel safe to do so.”

Trump and Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden are in a close race for Florida’s 29 electoral votes, with the former vice president leading in the RealClearPolitics index of polls by 3.7 percentage points.

Tags Donald Trump Joe Biden

Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.