It looks like I won't be covering the Trump rally on Saturday because of approaching Tropical Storm Fay
Vietnam Moving Wall in Pelham, New Hampshire (Memorial Day 2019). Photograph by Sean Sosik-Hamor.
I was eagerly looking forward to photographing President Donald J. Trump’s Make America Great Again Rally in Portsmouth, New Hampshire this coming Saturday. Whether you Love Trump or Hate Trump is irrelevant, this would have been a fascinating event to experience and cover firsthand.
When I was a kid my late Father used to talk about getting credentialed for photographing presidential events and he had his collection of media pins prominently displayed in his photography studio. One of his favorite stories was getting tackled by the Secret Service for approaching the presidential podium after his media identification pin had accidentally fallen off his lapel.
So I was excited to receive my media credentials from the Trump campaign this past Wednesday as well as my media maps, logistics, and pre-set packets early this morning!
Unfortunately, by early this afternoon, the rally had already been postponed because of approaching Tropical Storm Fay. Instead, the rally will be delayed by a week or two, White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany told reporters aboard Air Force One Friday.
TRUMP CAMPAIGN STATEMENT ON NEW HAMPSHIRE RALLY
July 10, 2020 — The rally scheduled for Saturday in Portsmouth, New Hampshire has been postponed for safety reasons because of Tropical Storm Fay. It will be rescheduled and a new date will be announced soon. - Tim Murtaugh, Trump 2020 communications director
I’ll admit that I had reservations about covering the rally because of COVID-19. New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu reiterated on Thursday that he would not mandate the use of masks by rally attendees.
"I understand a lot of the anxieties that folks may have around any large gathering. We heard similar concerns over the Black Lives Matter protests that happened, up to 1,000 people marching down the street in Manchester. We haven't had any (COVID-19) cases so far directly linked to large gatherings. It doesn't mean we can't or we won't, but it really keeps that elevated message where it needs to be," Sununu told WMUR.
Additionally, the logistics and pre-set packets stated that media would be shuttled from the media parking lot to the media credentialing check-in table. However, after examining the maps, it appeared that the media check-in table was only a short walk from the media parking lot.
So, when this event is rescheduled, I hope that we’ll have the option to social distance and to walk from the media parking lot to the media check-in table. I’ve reached out to the Trump campaign for clarification and will post an update once I receive a reply.
