As events across the country are canceled, Trump rolls the dice and heads to Vegas
Big cities are moving to shut down large public gatherings to protect against the coronavirus, but President Trump is scheduled to depart Washington on Thursday for a three-day visit to Las Vegas, where he will deliver remarks to an estimated crowd of 1,500 at the Republican Jewish Coalition national meeting.
Conference organizers and the city’s elected officials said the event is a go even though about one-quarter of those who signed up for the conference have dropped out. High-profile speakers, including former U.N. ambassador Nikki Haley, remain on the agenda. And Trump and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are speaking at a preconference dinner with prominent Jewish Republicans on Thursday evening.
Only one speaker, who was coming from Israel, has dropped out, because of travel restrictions imposed in that country, said RJC Director Matt Brooks. There have been five confirmed cases of the virus in Clark County, where Las Vegas is located, according to the Southern Nevada Health District.
“I’m excited our president is traveling around and living his best presidential life the way he is supposed to — he’s meeting folks and not letting fear take over,” said Michele Fiore, a Las Vegas City Council member and mayor pro tem who plans to attend the conference. “We really believe it’s safe enough. . . . We are encouraging all our conventions and meetings to go on no matter how many thousands of people.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-coronavirus-las-vegas-republican-jewish-coalition/2020/03/11/ef79aee4-63a4-11ea-acca-80c22bbee96f_story.html
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