Trump and Pence have used recent trips to thank factory and health-care workers and set the stage for reopening the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic, but their itineraries have highlighted the political imperatives that have informed their response to the crisis.
Trump is scheduled on Thursday to tour a Ford Motor Co. factory in Ypsilanti, Mich., that has been temporarily converted into a ventilator production facility. The visit comes after he traveled to manufacturing plants in Phoenix and Allentown, Pa., over the past two weeks. On Wednesday, Pence visited a nursing home in Orlando and had lunch with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) at a local restaurant, and he also has traveled to Iowa, Minnesota and Wisconsin in recent weeks. Pence said he will return to Florida next week to attend a space launch, and DeSantis suggested Trump may make the trip, as well. Continue reading.