CLEVELAND — The president left Northeast Ohio Thursday around 8 p.m. after spending the day traveling the state.
President Trump's visit to Ohio today got off to an unexpected start prior to his arrival, with Gov. Mike DeWine announcing he has the coronavirus about an hour ahead of the president's visit. DeWine discovered he has COVID-19 as part of the testing protocol for greeting Trump. Read more on this story here.
Trump spoke from the tarmac at Burke Lakefront Airport, shortly after landing there in Air Force One, and he spoke of the governor:
"I want to just say that a very good friend of mine just tested positive you know that our great governor, Governor of Ohio DeWine just tested positive just here," Trump said. "And we want to wish him the best. He’ll be fine. I guess he’s going for a secondary test. I just said I look forward to seeing the governor. They said, 'Sir, he just tested positive.' But he’s a great guy, he’s done a fantastic job."
Trump’s schedule for the remainder of the day
3:15 p.m. Trump will give remarks from the Whirlpool plant in Clyde, Ohio, in pivotal Sandusky County. There he will meet with employees at the Whirlpool Corporation Manufacturing Plant.
4:15 p.m. Trump will depart from the Sandusky County Regional Airport Landing Zone.
5:25 p.m. Trump will arrive at the Shoreby Yacht Club in Cleveland for a political fundraiser
7:45 p.m. Trump will depart Cleveland for Morristown, N.J.
We will stream portions of the president's visit on our app, site and Facebook Page.
Road closures in Bratenahl for fundraiser
Mayor of Bratenahl John M. Licastro said road closures should be limited to the arrival and departure of Trump. The closures should be short in duration and should be expected anytime from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All Shoreby employees and attendees will undergo a rapid test for COVID-19. Social distancing and masks will be required at the event.
Boat parade
According to Steve Loomis, former Cleveland Police Department Union President, there is “word of mouth” about a boat parade set to leave Cleveland between 4:30 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. The destination is open water in front of the Shoreby Club.
Boaters sailing east are told to be at the club at around 5:30 p.m. There is no route in place, so boaters are asked to look out for others on the water. Rock guitarist Billy Morris is scheduled to play a Jimi Hendrix version of the National Anthem at around 6 p.m. from the boat.
Biden reacts to Trump in Ohio
Former vice president Joe Biden released the following statement on Trump's visit to the Buckeye state.
Today, as families across Ohio continue to suffer in the face of the pandemic and the economic pain it has caused, Donald Trump is visiting Ohio, not to extend a hand to struggling families, but to try to paper over his record of broken promises to workers and raise money for his campaign. Donald Trump may not want to answer to Ohioans for his failed leadership, but he cannot escape the consequences of his horrific mismanagement of this crisis that has led to more than 90,000 COVID-19 cases in Ohio and left too many workers out of a job and unable to make ends meet.
Donald Trump is desperate to distract from his own failures. But Mr. President, Ohioans see through your attempts to divide us, and they are fed up with your empty promises to stand up for workers and families when all you’ve done is look out for the wealthy and well connected. It’s time for a leader who will tell the truth, lead with integrity, and fight to make Ohioans’ lives better every single day. As President, that’s exactly what I will do.
RELATED: DeWine tests positive for COVID-19 in test that was protocol to greet President Trump in Cleveland
