Since Trump first arrived in office in 2017 he has progressively obscured the lines between official and political events. He has brazenly made campaigning a trademark of his presidency. He is the first and only president to file for reelection the same day he took office then held his first campaign rally one month into his occupancy.
Keeping with this unprecedented tradition, President Trump is considering the White House as a backdrop for a television campaign where he will be accepting his party’s nomination in a speech from the building’s Truman Balcony to a congregation of fellow Republicans gathered on the South Lawn below. With the coronavirus dashing hopes of a typical convention, the president wants to keep the event close to home.
According to Trump aides, this is just one of the many ideas that came from campaign brainstorming sessions. Other possible scenarios range from a U.S. naval ship to the White House’s private quarters.
The administration and campaign officials don’t believe having the speech take place at the White House will cause ethical problems but they will be gauging the public’s reaction all the same.
Some senior members question if the setting is even possible. Senate Republican Whip John Thune asks, “Is that even legal? I assume that’s not something that you could do… I think anything to do with federal property would seem to me to be problematic.”
Campaign advisors have expressed their jitters about the idea of having the White House as the backdrop for such a significant moment, but this presidency has never been one to back down from breaking the norm.
An acceptance speech receiving their party’s nomination for president is among the most politically charged occurrence a candidate will make on their path to election day. There is no doubt that President Trump’s speech will be his most notable one yet.
