- Social distancing means that President Trump can't hold his signature rallies right now - and might not be able to for months. But his campaign is still finding ways to get his message out to his base.
- Trump's press briefings have featured elements that bear similarities to his rallies: attacks on the press, demonizing foreigners, and rhetoric about how America will triumph over its enemies.
- In the meantime, Trump's campaign has amplified his coronavirus response on social media, casting him as a wartime president, amplifying his rhetoric, and blaming China for the coronavirus crisis.
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As the coronavirus rendering Trump's signature campaign tactic impossible, Trump's appearances at the White House briefing room have started to sound a lot like his rallies, featuring great-again rhetoric ("America will triumph"), xenophobia ("the Chinese virus"), conspiracy theories ("the Deep State Department") and attacks on the media ("You're a terrible reporter").
His campaign, in turn, has amplified Trump's appearances at the briefings and other coronavirus-related meetings online to portray him as a wartime president, and touted his administration's efforts to win the battle on the coronavirus.
Trump might not be able to campaign in person, but he and his campaign have dominated airwaves and feeds with his coronavirus comments and outbursts, while the 2020 Democratic primary, now down to just two candidates, recedes into the background.
Trump lashes out at his enemies during press briefings.
The rally parallels were on full display at Friday's press conference, where Trump was joined by Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, Dr. Debora Birx of the coronavirus task force, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Dr. Anthony Fauci, among others. What was ostensibly a public health briefing morphed quickly into a very Trumpian affair.
Thought there were no cheering supporters to egg on, Trump still relentlessly attacked journalists in the way he often berates "fake news" at his mass gatherings. His supporters have been known to chant "CNN sucks!" and boo the press corps during the event.
"What do you say to Americans who are watching you right now who are scared?" NBC News' Peter Alexander asked.
Trump's reply: "I say that you're a terrible reporter, that's what I say."
"There's a lot of fake news out there," he said later in the briefing when another reporter asked about his attack on Alexander.
When Pompeo needed to leave the briefing, Trump joked that he had to go back to the State Department, "or as they call it, the Deep State Department," a reference to the conspiracy theory that a shadow force existed within the federal government to undermine Trump. The joke prompted a facepalm from Fauci.
Trump has also insisted on referring to the coronavirus as "the Chinese virus," despite its racist connotations, going so far as to edit his prepared briefing remarks to cross out the word "corona" and replace it with "Chinese."
Trump says he uses the term to prevent China from spreading disinformation about where the virus originated, but it's also the kind of red-meat line typically served to his supporters at rallies, who are used being fed diatribes against Mexico and lines like "these aren't people, these are animals," in reference to undocumented immigrants.
Trump's campaign and supporters uses his coronavirus-related appearances to bolster his image - and defend him from attacks
Meanwhile online, his campaign and network of supporters blast out tweets that reinforce his statements at the podium and show clips and photos touting his response to the coronavirus. They've also doubled down on his attacks and spin, as the president himself would if he were out on the stump.
On Friday the Trump campaign's rapid response Twitter account doubled down on the president's outburst at NBC News' Pete Alexander, calling him a "a terrible, partisan reporter" and attempting to spin the exchange as one featuring a "hopeful & optimistic Trump."
The Trump campaign's official Twitter account, @TeamTrump, tweeted clip after clip of Trump's Friday press conference.
"Once this enemy is defeated, our economy will bounce back quickly!" one status declared.
"Trump is excelling in the war on the virus!" tweeted Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.
The Trump campaign's feeds and operatives have also reinforced his use of the phrase " Chinese virus.
Hosts on Fox News such as Sean Hannity and Laura Ingraham, whose rhetoric often aligns with the president's, have started to blame China for the spread of the coronavirus.
At rallies, President Trump usually lambastes his political rivals with demeaning nicknames. At the moment, the campaign's attacks are playing out online.
Simultaneously the @TrumpWarRoom rapid response Twitter account and the campaign's communications director, Tim Murtaugh, have kept up a steady stream of attacks on former vice president Joe Biden, who is currently the frontrunner for the Democratic nomination.
Many of these messages and videos also appear on Trump's Facebook page, as well as the Team Trump page for his campaign.
Some studies suggest that the social distancing tactics that prevent Trump's typical campaign rallies could last for months - even a year - his campaign is already ramping up to make sure their candidate is being heard loud and clear.
Read more: Trump undercuts his top infectious-disease expert on whether an unapproved treatment for the coronavirus is safe, a day after the FDA said it had not yet been approved
CNN's John King calls Trump's attack on reporter 'bulls--t' following contentious White House coronavirus briefing
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