Trump delivers brief speech to supporters at White House in 1st in-person event since COVID-19 diagnosis
President Donald Trump made remarks from the White House on Saturday in his first in-person event since testing positive for coronavirus.
He quickly took off his badge when it appeared on the balcony just before 2 p.m. as the crowd of several hundred cheered and sang "USA! USA!"
In his roughly 18-minute speech, Trump said that a COVID-19 vaccine is coming out "very, very quickly" in "record time".
MORE: Trump is itching to get back on the field but he and the White House are dodging health issues
Trump, who was diagnosed on October 1 and spent several days in the hospital, said COVID-19 will "go away" and again referred to it as the "China virus".
PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks law and order from the south portico of the White House in Washington at the Oc. 10, 2020. Trump spoke publicly for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19. (Almond Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)
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PHOTO: Supporters listen as President Donald Trump speaks about law and order from the south portico of the White House in Washington on Oct.10, 2020. (Almond Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)
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"We produce powerful therapies and drugs, we cure the sick and we will recover," said Trump.
More than 213,000 Americans have died from COVID-19, and over 7.6 million have been diagnosed in the United States. An ABC News analysis of COVID-19 trends across all states, as well as Washington, DC and Puerto Rico, found that newly confirmed cases have increased in 28 states in the past two weeks.
MORE: Candace Owens 'BLEXIT group is paying for some attendees' trip to Trump's White House event
The public has not been made aware of a negative COVID-19 test carried out by the president since his diagnosis on October 1. Close-ups of the president's right hand on Saturday showed flesh-colored bandages.
Dr. Sean Conley, the president's personal physician, opened the door for the president to public events and said in a press release on Thursday evening: "Saturday will be day 10 since Trump's diagnosis."
PHOTO: President Donald Trump arrives from the south portico of the White House in Washington on October 10, 2020 to speak on law and order. Trump spoke publicly for the first time since testing positive for COVID-19. (Almond Ngan / AFP via Getty Images)
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The meeting took place on the south lawn of the White House in conjunction with a pre-planned event organized by conservative activist Candace Owens, whose BLEXIT campaign is urging black Americans to leave the Democratic Party.
"Every day, more black and Latin American Americans are leaving left-wing politicians and their failed ideology," Trump said, speaking from the balcony of the White House as a sea of supporters cheered below.
PHOTO: Supporters of President Donald Trump wait for the president's election rally to begin on South Lawn in Washington on October 10, 2020. (Tom Brenner / Reuters)
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Those watching Trump from the White House lawn wore red MAGA hats and blue BLEXIT t-shirts. Most wore masks but were not socially distant.
At a certain point, the racially diverse crowd began to sing, "We love you!" and Trump replied back, "I love you too."
PHOTO: President Donald Trump speaks from the balcony of the Blue Room of the White House to a crowd of supporters on October 10, 2020 in Washington. (Alex Brandon / AP)
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PHOTO: Supporters listen as President Donald Trump speaks to a crowd of supporters from the Blue Room Balcony of the White House on October 10, 2020 in Washington. (Alex Brandon / AP)
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In the campaign-style speech, the president touched on familiar topics, from electoral fraud to how the Democrats ran cities.
Trump attacked Democratic candidate Joe Biden, falsely claiming he was a socialist.
PHOTO: President Donald Trump gestures as he stands on a White House balcony speaking to supporters who have gathered on the South Lawn for a rally the White House calls a "peaceful protest" on October 10, 2020 in Washington . (Tom Brenner / Reuters)
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Trump called on the crowd to vote, calling this year "the most important election in our country's history".
Experts fear that this type of event could exacerbate the White House crisis and spread the disease further, with the president just days away from his stay at Walter Reed Medical Center. On Wednesday, ABC News reported that the coronavirus outbreak had infected "34 White House staff and other contacts" in the past few days, citing an internal government memo. At least 14 people who attended a rose garden event on September 26th tested positive for COVID-19.
For Saturday's event, all attendees were instructed to bring a mask, a source familiar with planning the event told ABC News. Participants were expected to have their temperature checked and complete a short questionnaire, the source added.
White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows was seen in the driveway with a mask on the driveway. Trump's medical advisor Dr. Scott Atlas was seen in the grass without a mask.
Trump gives a brief speech to White House supporters in the first in-person event since the COVID-19 diagnosis was originally posted on abcnews.go.com
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