President Trump’s re-election campaign and the Republican National Committee have suspended in-person fundraising events, opting instead to fundraise through a digital platform in light of the coronavirus pandemic.
According to a CNBC report Thursday, Trump’s campaign and the RNC have signaled to their allies that in-person events are no longer in their plans now that the coronavirus outbreak has impacted all 50 states and Washington, D.C.
Trump campaign spokesperson Tim Murtaugh told CNBC that both the President and the RNC are in an “incredibly strong position” given how their existing digital operations give them an advantage.
“While we are temporarily suspending in-person fundraising events, we will still be able to gather support from Americans who fully support President Trump, his accomplishments, and his leadership,” Murtaugh told CNBC, confirming plans to hold virtual fundraising events.
Striking a similar tone, RNC spokesperson Mandi Merritt said the committee will also use digital and direct mail platforms to engage with voters.
“We have a variety of tools that allow us to continue to succeed even without holding in person events. We have invested in robust digital and direct mail platforms that allow us to engage with voters and talk to our supporters about the issues they care most about,” Merritt told CNBC. “Those tools will continue to produce strong responses.”
The move comes on the heels of former Vice President Joe Biden’s campaign moving to virtual events as a precautionary measure in light of the coronavirus outbreak.
Last week, Trump began canceling events and rallies that were previously scheduled for later this month, which White House press secretary Stephanie Grisham said was a decision made “out of an abundance of caution from the coronavirus outbreak.”
Read CNBC’s report here.
