![Gov. Mike DeWine shakes hands with President Trump when he arrives in Dayton on August 3, 2019, after a mass shooting left nine people dead. [White House photo]](https://npr.brightspotcdn.com/dims4/default/9602e26/2147483647/strip/true/crop/1024x683+0+0/resize/840x560!/format/webp/quality/90/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fnpr-brightspot.s3.amazonaws.com%2Flegacy%2Fimages%2Fnews%2Fnpr%2F2020%2F09%2F915329057_1354927422.jpg)
After missing President Donald Trump's two previous visits to Ohio this year, Gov. Mike DeWine is planning to meet him at a rally Monday.
DeWine won’t be at Trump’s rally at an airport in Toledo but at another event, most likely in Vandalia, near the governor’s home in Cedarville. That's where DeWine has been conducting his twice-weekly press conferences since he tested positive for coronavirus before a planned meeting with Trump in Cleveland in August.
The mere mention of DeWine drew boos from the crowd at Vice President Pence’s rally in Zanesville last week, which the governor did not attend. He said that reaction came because he’s making tough decisions.
“This is a tough time. We have some people who are unemployed. We have people who, you know, don't want to wear a mask and, you know, a lot of different things. So I'm going to continue to focus on what I need to do. I think that's my job. I think it's what people elected me to do," DeWine said at his Thursday press conference.
As of Monday, the state has Montgomery County, where Vandalia is located, listed at a red, or Level 3 Public Health Emergency, the second-highest level reflecting the spread of coronavirus.
There is a statewide mask mandate in place, and masks have been required in Level 3 location since July. DeWine has urged people at rallies to wear masks, but said the mandate won't be enforced at these events, as it isn't at other activities protected by the First Amendment such as protests and worship services.
This will be DeWine’s first appearance with Trump this year.
He was under the weather for Trump’s first campaign rally of the year, in Toledo in January. And he was turned away for a Cleveland event after a rapid test showed he was positive for coronavirus last month, though two later tests showed negative results.
One thing DeWine may want to discuss with Trump is the Space Force. DeWine wrote a letter urging Trumpto locate the U.S. Space Command headquarters in Dayton, which he was suggesting in July.
.@DBJnews: If Dayton does land the Space Command, the economic impact would be huge. With the massive amount of new jobs comes increased economic activity in the housing market, an influx of tax revenue, new construction activity & opportunities for corporate-related events. https://t.co/3899RZ3HaL
— Governor Mike DeWine (@GovMikeDeWine) July 11, 2020
It's been estimated the Space Force headquarters could bring in 1,400 jobs.
Copyright 2020 The Statehouse News Bureau. To see more, visit The Statehouse News Bureau.
