Trump rally hits on law and order

LATROBE, Pennsylvania — President Donald Trump honed the “law and order” message he intends to wield for the next two months against Democratic rival Joe Biden at a campaign rally Thursday night, stepping up attacks that his advisers believe are resonating with battleground-state voters.

“Biden’s plan is to appease the domestic terrorists, and my plan is to arrest them and prosecute them,” Trump declared at the rally in Pennsylvania — a state that flipped in his favor in 2016, helping to pave his road to victory.

Trump was speaking in front of a crowd of hundreds packed into an airport hangar, where people stood closely together and few were seen wearing masks, despite the ongoing pandemic.

Pennsylvania restricts indoor gatherings to 25 people and outdoor events to 250 to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Trump has been flouting both local restrictions and his own administration’s social distancing guidelines as he insists on campaigning in front of large crowds and tries to project the image that the virus is waning as he pushes to reopen the economy.

Trump told the crowd that he is “all for” wearing masks, and urged them to be careful during the upcoming Labor Day weekend. White House and publichealth officials have been eyeing the date warily, concerned that it could fuel another spike in cases, as happened after Memorial Day weekend.

At the same time, Trump, who has rarely worn a mask, mocked Biden for wearing one so often.

“Did you ever see a man who likes a mask as much as him?” he asked, proclaiming that “it gives him a feeling of security.”

“If I were a psychiatrist, right, you know I’d say, ‘This guy’s got some big issues.’ Hanging down. Hanging down,” he said.