President Donald Trump’s campaign says it will cap his planned rally Friday in Rochester, Minnesota to 250 people at the insistence of state and local officials.
He’s blaming Democrats for stifling his message.
The announcement comes as Trump’s campaign sought to shift the venue to a nearby business but ultimately reversed course and moved ahead with the rally at the airport. Trump has packed thousands of supporters, most not wearing masks, into similar rallies across the country, despite the raging coronavirus pandemic.
The campaign said: “Thanks to the free speech-stifling dictates of Gov. Tim Walz and Attorney General Keith Ellison, only the first 250 people will be admitted.”
In recent months Trump and his campaign have taken to calling their rallies “peaceful protests” as they flout local restrictions on gathering sizes due to the virus.
The Minnesota Department of Health has linked 28 coronavirus cases to other recent Trump campaign events in the state.
Democrat Joe Biden, meanwhile, will be holding a socially-distanced drive-in event in St. Paul on Friday, his campaign said.
The Associated Press contributed to this article