By PAULA TRACY, InDepthNH.org
PORTSMOUTH – President Donald Trump’s press secretary said the campaign is putting off a New Hampshire rally Saturday for “a week or two” due to weather forecasts calling for heavy rain.
Kayleigh McEnany, while traveling with the President to a fundraiser in Florida on Friday said weather predicted on state’s Seacoast Saturday is the reason for the postponement.
The event was to be held at 8 p.m. outdoors with the President flying into the former Pease airbase, speaking from a riser inside an airplane hangar and then leaving the state following the event. Thousands were expected to attend and protest the event.
The campaign had said they would have face masks and hand sanitizers available for those who wanted them to protect them from COVID-19. Gov. Chris Sununu said he planned to greet the President with a face mask on but skip the rally itself as he did not want to put himself in a crowd with thousands of people.
Black Lives Matter had planned a protest outside the rally area in the afternoon before the event and businesses concerned for the possible spread of the deadly virus had decided to close.
The Nashua and Manchester chapters released a joint statement saying they will be there to protest when it is rescheduled.
Tropical depression “Fay” is expected to track north through New England Saturday morning and afternoon from interior southern New England to Northern New England and head out toward the Canadian Maritimes.
The tropical system will ease the slight drought in the region, and is expected to bring localized flooding and downpours, the National Weather Service reports.